April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas.…
April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas.…
April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April…
April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on…
April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines.…
April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural…
April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment.…
April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products.…
April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade…
April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking…
April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals.…
April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the…
April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and…
April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079…
April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last…
April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated…
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas. The department’s Assistant information officer Dhaneshwor Poudel informed that action was taken against Raju Store located at Sankhamul, Lalitpur and S and JS Store, located at Prayag Pokhari for hoarding LPG.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Poudel said that the department booked the store owners after it was found that they were hiding the LPG from consumers while saying that there was no gas available. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Action was taken after we found Raju Store hiding 10 cylinders and S and JS store hiding 15 cylinders of LPG. Both the stores have been fined Rs 20,000 each,” Poudel said, adding that action was taken against both the stores for violating the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The market is facing shortage of cooking gas ever since the petroleum dealers, transport companies and LPG dealers began protest since March 20.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the dealers have withdrawn their protests and Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the supply of gas, consumers are still facing trouble to get the LPG. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As the price of crude oil continues to rise in the international market, the dealers allegedly started hiding gas in order to sell them at an increased price later when the NOC increases the price.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department informed that it has increased monitoring, of gas depots and gas stores and will continue the monitoring in upcoming days to expose such irregularities.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-26', 'modified' => '2022-04-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14913', 'image' => '20220426042227_1650891800.gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-26 16:21:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal's Land Classified into 11 Categories ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Based on the NLCMS, the government has classified Nepal’s land into 11 different categories including forest land, agriculture land, grassland, bush, marshland, snow land, glacier, rock, flood land, shelter land and vegetation-less land. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the forests of Nepal covered 39.99 per cent of the total land in 2000 which increased to 41.69 per cent in 2019. Similarly, the agriculture area decreased from 26.31 per cent in 2000 to 24.21 per cent in 2019. . </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to ICIMOD, the NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14908', 'image' => '20220425081518_Jiten_220422_026A3027.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 20:14:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Minister urges Army Chief Sharma to Increase Electricity Consumption ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting between the two focused on the development and consumption of electricity. On the occasion, minister Bhusal urged the Nepalese Army to increase consumption of electricity. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister urged the army to replace other kinds of fuel used in the kitchen by electricity. “For this, the ministry is ready to provide required infrastructure," said the minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister also urged the army to use electric vehicles instead of petrol/diesel vehicle in the coming days. The minister was of the view that the national army must purchase electric vehicles in the future. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the army has made vital contribution to the infrastructure development of the country, Minister Bhusal expressed the hope that the army would also contribute to the development of hydropower sector in the coming days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Army Chief Sharma said that the Nepalese Army has already moved ahead with the plan to electrify the kitchen and assured that the process will be fully implemented in the near future.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have started using large steamers to cook food. We will start using electric stoves in all the barracks in coming days,” he said, adding that the army has already started converting petrol/diesel vehicles into electric vehicles.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14907', 'image' => '20220425063600_1650791164.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 18:35:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15156', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More Investment needed to make Nepal Self-reliant in Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. Inaugurating the 'Nepal Pharma Expo 2022' at the Chitwan Expo Center in Bharatpur on Friday, she emphasized on the need to produce the medicines needed in the country within the country itself. She also highlighted the need to promote commercial farming of medicinal herbs in the country to attain the target.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President Bhandari said, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced the challenge of drug shortage. Which is why, it is necessary to increase investment in drug production and manage the supply chain. To obtain this, emphasis should be given to domestic production of medicinal herbs.” The president stressed that the state should coordinate with the private sector to make the country self-reliant in medicine.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), stated that there are problems in the country in the sectors like import and export, interest of banks and others. He said that the government should bring industry-friendly policy to get rid of the existing problems. Stating that Covid-19 taught a lot to Nepali people, he pointed out the need to make the country self-reliant in medicine as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President of Nepal Medical Association Dr. Lochan Karki said that the role of medicine is critical to keep Nepali citizens healthy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel said that the government is ready to help the pharmaceutical industry. He made such remarks at an interaction program on 'Possibilities and Challenges of Pharmaceutical Production in Nepal' held during the second day of the expo on Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> “Increase in drug production helps reduce imports. We are ready to help,” he said adding that it is time to increase the production of export-oriented goods, pointing at the declining foreign exchange reserves of Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Department of Drug Management Santosh KC remarked that foreign investment is also needed to make the country self-reliant in medicine by increasing the production of drugs. He also emphasized on the need to increase the production of essential medicines in Nepal. Speaking on the occasion, former president of the association, Deepak Prasad Dahal said that Nepal is capable of producing quality and essential medicines, and pointed out that the Drugs Act of 2035 BS should be amended.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14898', 'image' => '20220424030239_18016929_101.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 15:02:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15155', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water Supply from Melamchi Resumes from Today ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters as well as other technical reasons.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The distribution of drinking water started today (April 24) after the structures damaged by flood last year’s floods were repaired. The supply of water resumed after Minister for Drinking Water Umakanta Chaudhary inaugurated the water tank at Min Bhawan in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water supply from Melamchi was halted last May. After the repairs and reconstruction of the damaged structure, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) started distributing the drinking water to the taps from Sunday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Water Supply initiated the repair of the diversion of the pathway for water supply to Kathmandu from April after completing the maintenance and cleaning work of the project. Water from Melamchi is distributed in the Kathmandu valley via new as well as old taps as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water will soon be distributed in areas including Min Bhawan, Baneshwor, Thapathali, Mahankal (Chabahil), Anamnagar and other places. Meanwhile, water distribution has already started in Kirtipur, Khumaltar, Bode of Bhaktapur, Swayambhu, Balaju, Naya Bazaar, Kalimati, Maharajgunj and other areas starting today.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government had announced to distribute drinking water from Melamchi to the people of the valley by mid-April. KUKL is distributing water after 10 days of announcement. After decades of construction, KUKL had started distributing water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley on March 28, 2021. But at that time, distribution of drinking water had started as a test. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee Rajendra Prasad Pant informed that water was already been brought to Sundarijal of Kathmandu from the temporary structure and water distribution was possible since Sunday as the 27 km long tunnel was filled on Friday itself.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Altogether 170 million liters of water will be distributed daily in Kathmandu Valley. The project has been built with an investment of Rs 30 billion. In addition, floods and landslides from mid-June to mid-August caused a loss of Rs. 360 million.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14897', 'image' => '20220424011204_Melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 13:11:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15146', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor Facing Power Cuts for 12 Hours a Day', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. The industrialists say that they are facing unannounced power cuts for 12 hours a day through the 66 kV transmission line of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Even though the NEA has declared Nepal free from load shedding, the industries here have been affected by the recent energy crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The production of the industries has dropped to 25/30 per cent due to lack of regular supply of electricity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is power cut for 10/12 hours every day. How is production possible in this way?” an industrialist complained. The supply of electricity to the industries from the NEA's 33 and 11 kV lines is disrupted comparatively less. The industrialists receiving electricity from 66 kV line are more affected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Subodh Kumar Gupta said that the industries connected to the 66 kV line are experiencing load shedding for 12 hours a day and power tripping 5-6 times a day. Gupta said that there were problems in supply from other transmission lines as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"In the last few years, the industries had increased their production capacity due to the easy supply of electricity. But now, they are facing problems due to lack of energy. The industries in this corridor, which is facing energy problems, are now operating at 25-30 per cent of their capacity,” said Gupta.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suresh Bhattarai, head of the NEA's grid operation department, claims that the current energy shortage is short-lived. According to Bhattarai, Nepal has also been affected by the global energy crisis following Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA insists that the problem of power cuts is due to excessive load. Bhattarai said that the supply could be disrupted in the future even if there is enough energy if the planned 132 to 400 kV transmission line is not constructed soon.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA Birgunj Distribution Center Chief Jitendra Kumar Jha also said that the problem in supply of electricity is mainly due to excessive load in the transmission line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the Parwanipur-Raxaul 132 kV transmission line has been experiencing frequent power outages due to high load.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Most of the industries in the Bara-Parsa corridor are being supplied electricity from India through this transmission line. About 90 MW of electricity consumed in the corridor comes from this line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhattarai, NEA has started construction of additional 132 KV transmission lines in Parwanipur-Raxaul, 400 KV Hetauda-Dhalkebar, 400 KV Hetauda-Inaruwa and 200 KV Hetauda-Bardaghat transmission lines.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Industrialists say that the raw material of industrial establishments get wasted due to frequent power cuts, and electricity tariff is also rising. It has led to an increase in production costs and decline in quality, they say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-22', 'modified' => '2022-04-22', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14888', 'image' => '20220422115047_ffff.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-22 11:50:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15143', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations underway to Open Integrated Agriculture Market in Mahendranagar ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. The municipality is constructing the structure with the help of Sundarpur-based Agribusiness Promotion Support and Training Center.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Municipal engineer Jayaraj Bhatta said that 150 stalls will be constructed in the integrated agricultural market, among which, the municipality is helping construct 100 shutters in collaboration with the center and the rest with its own resources.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Two separate contracts were signed for the construction of the integrated agricultural market structure near the open space of Bhimdutta-4.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A contract worth Rs 15 million was signed with MD Construction for 50 shutters. An agreement worth Rs 39.6 million was signed with MK / Niraj JV for the construction of 100 shutters. According to Engineer Bhatta, 50 percent construction of both the projects is completed. The initial plan is to complete the work by May 2023.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Mayor Surendra Bista, after the construction of the structure, all kinds of agricultural products will be integrated and the market will be managed accordingly. The municipality is working to increase agricultural production including introduction of programmes like one ward one product, pocket area programme, as well as providing support like agricultural subsidy, cooperation with the cooperative sector etc. The internal resources of the municipality as well is expected to increase after the construction of the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14884', 'image' => '20220421054028_Bhindutta_Municipality.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 17:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15138', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Third BIMSTEC Ministers’ Meeting Agrees to Establish Power Trade Centre ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the press statement, the virtual meeting agreed to implement grid inter-connection and constitute a ‘BIMSTEC Grid Inter-Connection Coordination Committee’ for preparing necessary work plan. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting also agreed to develop a master plan on BIMSTEC Grid Mutual Installation Coordination Committee with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. Likewise, the meeting agreed to develop policy and tariff system for power trade. Also, the meeting reached an understanding to develop a group with experts to frame a plan of cooperation on power trade among BIMSTEC countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The BIMSTEC energy centre will be established for undertaking research on energy and exchanging experience as well as strengthening collaboration among the member nations. A master plan and action plan will be developed and a fund required for the operation of the center will also be set up, the statement added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Presiding over the meeting, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said the BIMSTEC countries possess adequate natural resources and stressed that energy and renewable natural resource should be used as energy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stressing the need to make adequate financial investment in energy promotion, she said technology transfer should be promoted in the BIMSTEC region. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14880', 'image' => '20220421081540_-1558975331.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 08:14:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15136', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Where have LPG Cylinders Gone?', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prem Chand</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas. Under normal circumstances, the state-owned corporation supplies up to 70 bullets of LPG per day, but now, it is supplying up to 135 bullets daily. During monitoring, it was found that the industries have also increased the production of cooking gas. However, there is still a shortage of gas in the market. Consumers have to wait for at least a week to get one cylinder of gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Netra Kafle, the head of the corporation's gas distribution department, it is now off-season in terms of gas consumption. In the past, industrialists used to place Product Delivery Order (PDO) for 70 to 80 bullets of LPG daily as gas consumption is relatively low in summer. There was a problem in gas supply when the gas industrialists did not place the PDO demanding an increase in transportation fare from last March 20. Industrialists who did not issue PDO till April 2 started placing the order from April 3.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Since then, they are placing almost twice as many PDOs as usual. According to the corporation, gas industrialists are placing 125 to 135 bullets of PDO daily. However, consumers are not getting cooking gas easily. Shraman Shrestha, who lives in Babarmahal, Kathmandu said that he brought gas from Arubari with the help of personal connections after not getting any gas for a week.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection is also receiving complaints on a daily basis of gas not being available. According to Dhaneshwor Poudel, deputy information officer of the department, on an average, 2 to 3 complaints are registered in the department daily for not getting gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The corporation also admitted that gas is not easily available in the market. Kafle said there is a shortage of gas because industrialists and gas dealers are not accountable to the consumers. “If the businessmen had been accountable to the consumers, they would have revealed the truth.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The industrialists also admitted that the corporation has increased gas supply but there is a shortage in the market. Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, general secretary of the LP Gas Industry Association, said that even though the gas supply is above 100 bullets daily, the supply has not eased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is no shortage of gas. It's just a little less. Earlier, loading of gas was halted for 8/10 days for not being able to pay for the transportation charge. It seems like there is a shortage due to the gap. But that’s not the case.” He said that under normal circumstances, 70 to 80 bullets of gas were imported daily, but now up to 120 bullets of gas are being imported and all the imported gas is sent to the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the dealers say that the number of gas cylinders being supplied is constant and that there has not been any increase. Chandra Thapa, senior vice-president of the Gas Dealers Federation said that under normal circumstances, an average of one vehicle of gas is supplied to the dealer from one industry and it is the same at present as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Thapa says that there is no difference in the quantity of gas supplied to the dealers from the industry. He said that consumers are trying to keep stocks as there are rumors of rising gas prices and rising crude oil prices in the international market. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is news of Nepal Oil Corporation being at loss due to LP gas. Consumers try to keep stocks due to the fear of rising prices and shortages, causing difficulty in fulfilling the demand,” he said. Consumer rights activists doubt that the industrialists are buying more gas but not supplying to the sellers in the hope that the NOC will increase the price of LP gas. Consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan accused the industrialists and businessmen of hiding gas with the intention of selling it at increased prices. Maharjan said, “Industrialists and dealers are expecting the prices to go up in the international market and the domestic rates will also go up.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has stated that they have started gas-centric monitoring. Deputy Information Officer of the department Poudel said they found during monitoring on Monday that the production of Everest Gas has increased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Everest Gas has been producing up to 4,000 cylinders of gas per day under normal conditions, but now it is producing up to 6,000 cylinders,” he said, adding, “Since it sent the gas cylinders to the dealers, there are doubts that dealers might be hiding the gas cylinders. We are yet to monitor the dealers yet.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-20', 'modified' => '2022-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14878', 'image' => '20220420033543_gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-20 15:35:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15115', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Construction of Nagdhunga Tunnel Uncertain due to Obstruction by Locals', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. The construction of the project has become uncertain after locals affected by the project staged protests demanding compensation for land, construction of blacktopped road, and a football stadium. Locals residing towards Kathmandu from the project site also vandalized the project office.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Locals of Totipakha in Kathmandu to the east side of the tunnel started protest on April 11 stating that their demands have not been met. Japanese construction company Hajma Ando Corporation stopped work after locals of Chandragiri Municipality-2 attacked the project office following a protest. Project Chief Nareshman Shakya said that the company has demanded action against the culprits and will stop work until security is guaranteed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He said that the construction work has been stopped now, and the construction itself is uncertain. On Sunday (today), the District Administration Office invited the project officials and the locals for discussion. Shakya said that the construction can be started only if there is an agreement, or it will remain uncertain. "We will not work until we get security assurance," Shakya said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 500 Nepalese and Japanese workers were working in the tunnel. He said that the Japanese company has been claiming Rs 15 million daily in fines since April 11 for the onstruction in construction work. Nepal has to pay the amount daily due to obstruction in the project being constructed with the help of Japanese loan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"The state has a to incur a daily loss of Rs 15 million for 10 tankers of water," he said, adding that the amount claimed by the company has reached Rs 75 million as of Saturday. The construction company claimed that the amount should be paid by Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the construction works were delayed due to Covid-19, the company has been digging 10 meters of tunnel of late. The project deadline has been extended for three months due to a halt in work because of Covid-19.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The locals claim that the water level in the area has dropped due to the project and have also demanded proper management of water.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claimed that the decline in water level was due to drought. Nevertheless, the project was planning to provide 5 tankers of water to the locals daily. “However, they suddenly came and vandalized the office,” said Shakya, adding, “Besides, they have made demands unrelated to the project. The project cannot meet those demands. The demand within the project will be addressed,” said Shakya.' </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project had agreed to distribute water, but now the locals are demanding that water pipes be installed in every house, said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">To address the demand of the locals for connecting the pipeline through the municipality, a budget has been requested from the Ministry of Finance. "Rs 800,000 has been disbursed for this purpose alone on Friday," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">At present, the tunnel work is 48 percent complete. As the finishing work has been taken along with it, about 36 percent of the work of the project has been completed. According to Shakya, the problem of land compensation in Balambu has been resolved by 70 percent and now the locals are demolishing private houses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claims that the project has been fulfilling the reasonable demands of the locals based on their information. However, he clarified that the demands that do not fall within the scope of the project cannot be addressed just because they resort to vandalism.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project is being undertaken with the concessional loan provided by the Government of Japan. The total investment for the project is estimated to be around Rs 22 billion. JICA will invest Rs 16 billion while the Government of Nepal will contribute Rs 6 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tunnel will be of 2.7 kilometers long and will have two flyovers. The project will also cover 3 kilometers of road.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Thankot-Naubise road section is currently 9 kilometers long. The distance will be shortened to 5.7 kilometers once the tunnel is constructed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The foundation stone of the project was laid on October 21, 2019. As per the agreement signed with the Department of Roads, the contractor must complete the project within 42 months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-17', 'modified' => '2022-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14857', 'image' => '20220417021920_20201105124818_20200308111704_adahjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-17 14:18:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15112', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fall Armyworms Affect Maize Plantation across the Country', 'sub_title' => 'Government Bodies Unaware of the Situation', 'summary' => 'April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country. However, the government has not taken concrete steps for its prevention and control. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on the other hand is unaware of this situation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, the outbreak of fall armyworms is on the rise in Kathmandu Valley, Terai, hills and some Himalayan districts as well. Authorities at the concerned ministry have not taken any initiative to control and prevent the pest. The Centre for Pesticide Management and the Ministry of Agriculture do not have exact information on the extent of damage caused by the pest infestation so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the outbreak of worms is prevalent all over the country, the districts with high temperatures like Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu in western Terai and Sunsari, Rautahat and Siraha in the eastern Terai are facing greater impact of the worm infestation. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Banke, the outbreak has spread to maize planted over 3,550 hectares in Banke and about 7,000 hectares in Bardiya. The centre estimated that the worm outbreak may have spread to 700 hectares in Kailali and Dang.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhuwaneshwor Yadav, a representative farmer from Sunsari, the outbreak has spread to about 800-900 hectares of crops in Sunsari as well. Yadav said, “No concrete steps have been taken for prevention and control by the agricultural knowledge center or even the local level. On the one hand, farmers do not know how to control it, what medicine to use, while on the other hand, all government bodies are unaware of the outbreak.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the damage report of some districts is kept by the Agriculture Knowledge Center, the data of most of the districts is not available with the concerned local and central government. Sahadev Humagain, head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center said there were reports of worm outbreaks in various districts of the country but the body responsible for controlling and collecting data did not send details of the damage. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said, “Once the exact details of the damage are known, control efforts will be initiated and technicians will be dispatched. However, nothing can be done from the center alone as the bodies responsible at the local level remain unaware of the situation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been three years since the American armyworms first entered Nepal. It hides from sunrise till sunset and destroys corn leaves, stalks, kernels and later the entire plant at night. As the worm has completely adapted to the environment in a short period of time, it is not possible to eradicate it completely. Humagain said that no initiative has been taken for the control so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Agriculture is unaware that the farmers who were affected by the unseasonal rainfall last October are now being attacked by the fall armyworms. Ministry spokesperson Prakash Kumar Sanjel said that the ministry has not received any report from the concerned bodies so far. It is a well-known fact that outbreaks are common and frequent during this time of year. However, he said that the ministry had not made any plan as no major damage was reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Scientists say that this worm, which was seen in West Africa in 2016, can travel up to 100 kilometers in one night. About three years ago, this insect was first seen in various states of India for the first time in Asia. Later, it reportedly entered Nepal through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14854', 'image' => '20220415030136_maize armyworn.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 15:00:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15106', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Marks 100 Years of Systematic Documentation and Registration of Land', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba made such remarks on Thursday during a programme organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation on the occasion of 100 years of systematic documentation and registration of land in the country. He directed the subordinate bodies to address the complaints on land administration on time. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba was in favour of promoting good governance in land administration service by ensuring quality survey and credible management of data. PM Deuba added that records of land and security of historic archives should be prioritized. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed happiness over the online system of land transaction and access to personal data relating to land developed by the ministry. He also suggested other government bodies to promote such practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The written records or the registration of land plots and houses had begun exactly a 100 years ago in Nepal since 1st Baisakh, 1979 BS.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba further reminded that the government was providing lands to the poor Dalits in a bid to ensure social justice and equality guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal. The constitution has ensured such rights to landless squatters, freed-Haliyas and Kamaiyas. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed concerns that arable lands were left unused on the one hand and agricultural production was dwindling on the other, contributing to widening trade loss, and food insecurity.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Haphazard use of land has worsened the impacts of climate change, said Deuba adding that unchecked plotting of agricultural land has caused haphazard urbanization while settlements are facing risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Prime Minister also expressed concern over encroachment of public, and lands belonging to the Guthi trusts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> During the occasion, PM Deuba shared that the National Land Commission was formed by the government to resolve the problems faced by the landless squatters, landless Dalit and unmanaged settlements. (<em>With inputs from RSS</em>) </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14848', 'image' => '20220415075711_Ministry-ofland).jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 07:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15100', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Extends Best Wishes on the Occasion of New Year', 'sub_title' => 'President Calls for Promoting Entrepreneurship and Domestic Products to Decrease Trade Imbalance', 'summary' => 'April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In her message on the occasion, President Bhandari wished for peace, prosperity, good health and progress of all the Nepalis. President Bhandari spoke of the need to learn from the tough experiences of the past and move ahead accordingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president also called for promoting entrepreneurship and production of domestic products to decrease the rising trade imbalance as well as to create self-reliant economy through national capital. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She was of the view that policies and programmes aimed at creating jobs and opportunities to engage a staggering number of youths of Nepal aspiring for foreign employment should be implemented at the earliest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Head of the State also appealed to the three-tier government to be active towards realizing sustainable development goals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the upcoming Nepali year is going to be the year of election, President Bhandari argued that it is our common responsibility to conduct the May 13 local level election in a free, impartial and fearless environment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"May the upcoming New Year 2079 BS inspire to create civilized, well-cultured and just society while filling all the Nepalis with zest and zeal," the message stated. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-14', 'modified' => '2022-04-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14842', 'image' => '20220414081219_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-14 08:11:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15094', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water from Melamchi Diverted into Tunnel, likely to Reach Kathmandu in 2 Weeks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary was present when the water was diverted in the tunnel from the diversion gate No. 1 of the project in Ambathan of Sindhupalchowk. Minister Chaudhary said that he was happy to send water to the valley as per the government's target. The project officials informed that it will take two weeks for the water from the tunnel to reach the valley.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, Basudev Poudel said that it was possible to divert water as the work of cleaning the tunnel and head works was completed. Poudel said, “Even though some works are still remaining, water was sent because the cleaning of the tunnel and head works was completed.” Earlier, the government had announced to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu by mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">This is the seventh formal inauguration of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The water of Melamchi was diverted for the first time on July 5, 2020. The project was inaugurated by the then Minister Bina Magar.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Within a week, the gate of the Melamchi audit tunnel collapsed and it took about eight months to repair it. For the second time, the then Minister for water supply, Mani Thapa and Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar personally visited the site on 22 February 2021 and re-sent water back to the tunnel. The third inauguration was done on 6 March 2021 at Sundarijal by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He announced the arrival of Melamchi water in the valley by opening the gate from Sundarijal and sending it to the Bagmati River.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited then started distributing water on March 28, 2021 amid a formal programme organized for the fourth. One week later, President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the distribution of water from Melamchi at Bhrikuti mandap.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14836', 'image' => '20220413011743_melamcbi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 13:16:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15092', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Deuba Stresses on Utility Corridor for Coordinated Development ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also called for an end to the tendency of one utility agency constructing structures and the next one dismantling it after a few days due to lack of coordination. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister made such remarks while inaugurating a Consultative Seminar on the Formulation of National Urban Policy, the Urban Development Act and the Utility Corridor Act in the capital on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking on the occasion, PM Deuba said pilot projects would be initiated in some big cities from the upcoming fiscal year for implementing the concept of utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The PM viewed that it is necessary to maintain population balance through the Tarai Madhes-focussed Consolidated Urban Development Programme. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It (the programme) will be expanded to the municipalities in the mountainous and hill regions to discourage migration from the districts of these regions to the Tarai Madhes," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Deuba said that the duplicity in the development and construction works would be removed by amending and integrating the legislations related to urban development. He opined that the country's urban development would witness a sea change with the formulation of the Act related to the utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to him, the government will address the problems and challenges seen in urbanization while increasing the access to advanced national urban infrastructures through the new urban policy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will help in the proper resource mobilization for urban development as well as in ensuring inter-governmental coordination and urban good governance," the PM asserted. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that Nepal falls among the rapidly urbanizing countries in the world, he said urbanization played a role in the overall development of the country including its economic, social and political development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Deuba stated that although Nepal has been making efforts for a systematic urbanization since the Second Five-Year Plan, the cities in the country have not developed as expected. He stressed on the need of developing systematic, clean and beautiful new cities and at the same time managing the required infrastructures in the existing old cities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It is necessary to urgently start concrete works to bring improvements in the living standards of the people living in the urban areas," he said, adding that the Ministry of Urban Development has prepared the draft policy incorporating various dimensions of urban development, including major challenges, investment in infrastructures, urban governance among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14834', 'image' => '20220413081638_image_6483441(5).JPG', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 08:15:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas. The department’s Assistant information officer Dhaneshwor Poudel informed that action was taken against Raju Store located at Sankhamul, Lalitpur and S and JS Store, located at Prayag Pokhari for hoarding LPG.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Poudel said that the department booked the store owners after it was found that they were hiding the LPG from consumers while saying that there was no gas available. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Action was taken after we found Raju Store hiding 10 cylinders and S and JS store hiding 15 cylinders of LPG. Both the stores have been fined Rs 20,000 each,” Poudel said, adding that action was taken against both the stores for violating the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The market is facing shortage of cooking gas ever since the petroleum dealers, transport companies and LPG dealers began protest since March 20.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the dealers have withdrawn their protests and Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the supply of gas, consumers are still facing trouble to get the LPG. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As the price of crude oil continues to rise in the international market, the dealers allegedly started hiding gas in order to sell them at an increased price later when the NOC increases the price.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department informed that it has increased monitoring, of gas depots and gas stores and will continue the monitoring in upcoming days to expose such irregularities.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-26', 'modified' => '2022-04-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14913', 'image' => '20220426042227_1650891800.gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-26 16:21:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal's Land Classified into 11 Categories ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Based on the NLCMS, the government has classified Nepal’s land into 11 different categories including forest land, agriculture land, grassland, bush, marshland, snow land, glacier, rock, flood land, shelter land and vegetation-less land. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the forests of Nepal covered 39.99 per cent of the total land in 2000 which increased to 41.69 per cent in 2019. Similarly, the agriculture area decreased from 26.31 per cent in 2000 to 24.21 per cent in 2019. . </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to ICIMOD, the NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14908', 'image' => '20220425081518_Jiten_220422_026A3027.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 20:14:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Minister urges Army Chief Sharma to Increase Electricity Consumption ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting between the two focused on the development and consumption of electricity. On the occasion, minister Bhusal urged the Nepalese Army to increase consumption of electricity. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister urged the army to replace other kinds of fuel used in the kitchen by electricity. “For this, the ministry is ready to provide required infrastructure," said the minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister also urged the army to use electric vehicles instead of petrol/diesel vehicle in the coming days. The minister was of the view that the national army must purchase electric vehicles in the future. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the army has made vital contribution to the infrastructure development of the country, Minister Bhusal expressed the hope that the army would also contribute to the development of hydropower sector in the coming days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Army Chief Sharma said that the Nepalese Army has already moved ahead with the plan to electrify the kitchen and assured that the process will be fully implemented in the near future.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have started using large steamers to cook food. We will start using electric stoves in all the barracks in coming days,” he said, adding that the army has already started converting petrol/diesel vehicles into electric vehicles.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14907', 'image' => '20220425063600_1650791164.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 18:35:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15156', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More Investment needed to make Nepal Self-reliant in Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. Inaugurating the 'Nepal Pharma Expo 2022' at the Chitwan Expo Center in Bharatpur on Friday, she emphasized on the need to produce the medicines needed in the country within the country itself. She also highlighted the need to promote commercial farming of medicinal herbs in the country to attain the target.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President Bhandari said, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced the challenge of drug shortage. Which is why, it is necessary to increase investment in drug production and manage the supply chain. To obtain this, emphasis should be given to domestic production of medicinal herbs.” The president stressed that the state should coordinate with the private sector to make the country self-reliant in medicine.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), stated that there are problems in the country in the sectors like import and export, interest of banks and others. He said that the government should bring industry-friendly policy to get rid of the existing problems. Stating that Covid-19 taught a lot to Nepali people, he pointed out the need to make the country self-reliant in medicine as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President of Nepal Medical Association Dr. Lochan Karki said that the role of medicine is critical to keep Nepali citizens healthy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel said that the government is ready to help the pharmaceutical industry. He made such remarks at an interaction program on 'Possibilities and Challenges of Pharmaceutical Production in Nepal' held during the second day of the expo on Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> “Increase in drug production helps reduce imports. We are ready to help,” he said adding that it is time to increase the production of export-oriented goods, pointing at the declining foreign exchange reserves of Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Department of Drug Management Santosh KC remarked that foreign investment is also needed to make the country self-reliant in medicine by increasing the production of drugs. He also emphasized on the need to increase the production of essential medicines in Nepal. Speaking on the occasion, former president of the association, Deepak Prasad Dahal said that Nepal is capable of producing quality and essential medicines, and pointed out that the Drugs Act of 2035 BS should be amended.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14898', 'image' => '20220424030239_18016929_101.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 15:02:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15155', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water Supply from Melamchi Resumes from Today ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters as well as other technical reasons.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The distribution of drinking water started today (April 24) after the structures damaged by flood last year’s floods were repaired. The supply of water resumed after Minister for Drinking Water Umakanta Chaudhary inaugurated the water tank at Min Bhawan in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water supply from Melamchi was halted last May. After the repairs and reconstruction of the damaged structure, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) started distributing the drinking water to the taps from Sunday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Water Supply initiated the repair of the diversion of the pathway for water supply to Kathmandu from April after completing the maintenance and cleaning work of the project. Water from Melamchi is distributed in the Kathmandu valley via new as well as old taps as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water will soon be distributed in areas including Min Bhawan, Baneshwor, Thapathali, Mahankal (Chabahil), Anamnagar and other places. Meanwhile, water distribution has already started in Kirtipur, Khumaltar, Bode of Bhaktapur, Swayambhu, Balaju, Naya Bazaar, Kalimati, Maharajgunj and other areas starting today.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government had announced to distribute drinking water from Melamchi to the people of the valley by mid-April. KUKL is distributing water after 10 days of announcement. After decades of construction, KUKL had started distributing water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley on March 28, 2021. But at that time, distribution of drinking water had started as a test. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee Rajendra Prasad Pant informed that water was already been brought to Sundarijal of Kathmandu from the temporary structure and water distribution was possible since Sunday as the 27 km long tunnel was filled on Friday itself.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Altogether 170 million liters of water will be distributed daily in Kathmandu Valley. The project has been built with an investment of Rs 30 billion. In addition, floods and landslides from mid-June to mid-August caused a loss of Rs. 360 million.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14897', 'image' => '20220424011204_Melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 13:11:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15146', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor Facing Power Cuts for 12 Hours a Day', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. The industrialists say that they are facing unannounced power cuts for 12 hours a day through the 66 kV transmission line of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Even though the NEA has declared Nepal free from load shedding, the industries here have been affected by the recent energy crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The production of the industries has dropped to 25/30 per cent due to lack of regular supply of electricity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is power cut for 10/12 hours every day. How is production possible in this way?” an industrialist complained. The supply of electricity to the industries from the NEA's 33 and 11 kV lines is disrupted comparatively less. The industrialists receiving electricity from 66 kV line are more affected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Subodh Kumar Gupta said that the industries connected to the 66 kV line are experiencing load shedding for 12 hours a day and power tripping 5-6 times a day. Gupta said that there were problems in supply from other transmission lines as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"In the last few years, the industries had increased their production capacity due to the easy supply of electricity. But now, they are facing problems due to lack of energy. The industries in this corridor, which is facing energy problems, are now operating at 25-30 per cent of their capacity,” said Gupta.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suresh Bhattarai, head of the NEA's grid operation department, claims that the current energy shortage is short-lived. According to Bhattarai, Nepal has also been affected by the global energy crisis following Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA insists that the problem of power cuts is due to excessive load. Bhattarai said that the supply could be disrupted in the future even if there is enough energy if the planned 132 to 400 kV transmission line is not constructed soon.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA Birgunj Distribution Center Chief Jitendra Kumar Jha also said that the problem in supply of electricity is mainly due to excessive load in the transmission line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the Parwanipur-Raxaul 132 kV transmission line has been experiencing frequent power outages due to high load.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Most of the industries in the Bara-Parsa corridor are being supplied electricity from India through this transmission line. About 90 MW of electricity consumed in the corridor comes from this line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhattarai, NEA has started construction of additional 132 KV transmission lines in Parwanipur-Raxaul, 400 KV Hetauda-Dhalkebar, 400 KV Hetauda-Inaruwa and 200 KV Hetauda-Bardaghat transmission lines.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Industrialists say that the raw material of industrial establishments get wasted due to frequent power cuts, and electricity tariff is also rising. It has led to an increase in production costs and decline in quality, they say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-22', 'modified' => '2022-04-22', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14888', 'image' => '20220422115047_ffff.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-22 11:50:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15143', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations underway to Open Integrated Agriculture Market in Mahendranagar ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. The municipality is constructing the structure with the help of Sundarpur-based Agribusiness Promotion Support and Training Center.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Municipal engineer Jayaraj Bhatta said that 150 stalls will be constructed in the integrated agricultural market, among which, the municipality is helping construct 100 shutters in collaboration with the center and the rest with its own resources.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Two separate contracts were signed for the construction of the integrated agricultural market structure near the open space of Bhimdutta-4.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A contract worth Rs 15 million was signed with MD Construction for 50 shutters. An agreement worth Rs 39.6 million was signed with MK / Niraj JV for the construction of 100 shutters. According to Engineer Bhatta, 50 percent construction of both the projects is completed. The initial plan is to complete the work by May 2023.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Mayor Surendra Bista, after the construction of the structure, all kinds of agricultural products will be integrated and the market will be managed accordingly. The municipality is working to increase agricultural production including introduction of programmes like one ward one product, pocket area programme, as well as providing support like agricultural subsidy, cooperation with the cooperative sector etc. The internal resources of the municipality as well is expected to increase after the construction of the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14884', 'image' => '20220421054028_Bhindutta_Municipality.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 17:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15138', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Third BIMSTEC Ministers’ Meeting Agrees to Establish Power Trade Centre ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the press statement, the virtual meeting agreed to implement grid inter-connection and constitute a ‘BIMSTEC Grid Inter-Connection Coordination Committee’ for preparing necessary work plan. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting also agreed to develop a master plan on BIMSTEC Grid Mutual Installation Coordination Committee with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. Likewise, the meeting agreed to develop policy and tariff system for power trade. Also, the meeting reached an understanding to develop a group with experts to frame a plan of cooperation on power trade among BIMSTEC countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The BIMSTEC energy centre will be established for undertaking research on energy and exchanging experience as well as strengthening collaboration among the member nations. A master plan and action plan will be developed and a fund required for the operation of the center will also be set up, the statement added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Presiding over the meeting, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said the BIMSTEC countries possess adequate natural resources and stressed that energy and renewable natural resource should be used as energy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stressing the need to make adequate financial investment in energy promotion, she said technology transfer should be promoted in the BIMSTEC region. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14880', 'image' => '20220421081540_-1558975331.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 08:14:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15136', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Where have LPG Cylinders Gone?', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prem Chand</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas. Under normal circumstances, the state-owned corporation supplies up to 70 bullets of LPG per day, but now, it is supplying up to 135 bullets daily. During monitoring, it was found that the industries have also increased the production of cooking gas. However, there is still a shortage of gas in the market. Consumers have to wait for at least a week to get one cylinder of gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Netra Kafle, the head of the corporation's gas distribution department, it is now off-season in terms of gas consumption. In the past, industrialists used to place Product Delivery Order (PDO) for 70 to 80 bullets of LPG daily as gas consumption is relatively low in summer. There was a problem in gas supply when the gas industrialists did not place the PDO demanding an increase in transportation fare from last March 20. Industrialists who did not issue PDO till April 2 started placing the order from April 3.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Since then, they are placing almost twice as many PDOs as usual. According to the corporation, gas industrialists are placing 125 to 135 bullets of PDO daily. However, consumers are not getting cooking gas easily. Shraman Shrestha, who lives in Babarmahal, Kathmandu said that he brought gas from Arubari with the help of personal connections after not getting any gas for a week.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection is also receiving complaints on a daily basis of gas not being available. According to Dhaneshwor Poudel, deputy information officer of the department, on an average, 2 to 3 complaints are registered in the department daily for not getting gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The corporation also admitted that gas is not easily available in the market. Kafle said there is a shortage of gas because industrialists and gas dealers are not accountable to the consumers. “If the businessmen had been accountable to the consumers, they would have revealed the truth.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The industrialists also admitted that the corporation has increased gas supply but there is a shortage in the market. Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, general secretary of the LP Gas Industry Association, said that even though the gas supply is above 100 bullets daily, the supply has not eased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is no shortage of gas. It's just a little less. Earlier, loading of gas was halted for 8/10 days for not being able to pay for the transportation charge. It seems like there is a shortage due to the gap. But that’s not the case.” He said that under normal circumstances, 70 to 80 bullets of gas were imported daily, but now up to 120 bullets of gas are being imported and all the imported gas is sent to the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the dealers say that the number of gas cylinders being supplied is constant and that there has not been any increase. Chandra Thapa, senior vice-president of the Gas Dealers Federation said that under normal circumstances, an average of one vehicle of gas is supplied to the dealer from one industry and it is the same at present as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Thapa says that there is no difference in the quantity of gas supplied to the dealers from the industry. He said that consumers are trying to keep stocks as there are rumors of rising gas prices and rising crude oil prices in the international market. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is news of Nepal Oil Corporation being at loss due to LP gas. Consumers try to keep stocks due to the fear of rising prices and shortages, causing difficulty in fulfilling the demand,” he said. Consumer rights activists doubt that the industrialists are buying more gas but not supplying to the sellers in the hope that the NOC will increase the price of LP gas. Consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan accused the industrialists and businessmen of hiding gas with the intention of selling it at increased prices. Maharjan said, “Industrialists and dealers are expecting the prices to go up in the international market and the domestic rates will also go up.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has stated that they have started gas-centric monitoring. Deputy Information Officer of the department Poudel said they found during monitoring on Monday that the production of Everest Gas has increased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Everest Gas has been producing up to 4,000 cylinders of gas per day under normal conditions, but now it is producing up to 6,000 cylinders,” he said, adding, “Since it sent the gas cylinders to the dealers, there are doubts that dealers might be hiding the gas cylinders. We are yet to monitor the dealers yet.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-20', 'modified' => '2022-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14878', 'image' => '20220420033543_gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-20 15:35:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15115', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Construction of Nagdhunga Tunnel Uncertain due to Obstruction by Locals', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. The construction of the project has become uncertain after locals affected by the project staged protests demanding compensation for land, construction of blacktopped road, and a football stadium. Locals residing towards Kathmandu from the project site also vandalized the project office.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Locals of Totipakha in Kathmandu to the east side of the tunnel started protest on April 11 stating that their demands have not been met. Japanese construction company Hajma Ando Corporation stopped work after locals of Chandragiri Municipality-2 attacked the project office following a protest. Project Chief Nareshman Shakya said that the company has demanded action against the culprits and will stop work until security is guaranteed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He said that the construction work has been stopped now, and the construction itself is uncertain. On Sunday (today), the District Administration Office invited the project officials and the locals for discussion. Shakya said that the construction can be started only if there is an agreement, or it will remain uncertain. "We will not work until we get security assurance," Shakya said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 500 Nepalese and Japanese workers were working in the tunnel. He said that the Japanese company has been claiming Rs 15 million daily in fines since April 11 for the onstruction in construction work. Nepal has to pay the amount daily due to obstruction in the project being constructed with the help of Japanese loan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"The state has a to incur a daily loss of Rs 15 million for 10 tankers of water," he said, adding that the amount claimed by the company has reached Rs 75 million as of Saturday. The construction company claimed that the amount should be paid by Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the construction works were delayed due to Covid-19, the company has been digging 10 meters of tunnel of late. The project deadline has been extended for three months due to a halt in work because of Covid-19.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The locals claim that the water level in the area has dropped due to the project and have also demanded proper management of water.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claimed that the decline in water level was due to drought. Nevertheless, the project was planning to provide 5 tankers of water to the locals daily. “However, they suddenly came and vandalized the office,” said Shakya, adding, “Besides, they have made demands unrelated to the project. The project cannot meet those demands. The demand within the project will be addressed,” said Shakya.' </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project had agreed to distribute water, but now the locals are demanding that water pipes be installed in every house, said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">To address the demand of the locals for connecting the pipeline through the municipality, a budget has been requested from the Ministry of Finance. "Rs 800,000 has been disbursed for this purpose alone on Friday," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">At present, the tunnel work is 48 percent complete. As the finishing work has been taken along with it, about 36 percent of the work of the project has been completed. According to Shakya, the problem of land compensation in Balambu has been resolved by 70 percent and now the locals are demolishing private houses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claims that the project has been fulfilling the reasonable demands of the locals based on their information. However, he clarified that the demands that do not fall within the scope of the project cannot be addressed just because they resort to vandalism.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project is being undertaken with the concessional loan provided by the Government of Japan. The total investment for the project is estimated to be around Rs 22 billion. JICA will invest Rs 16 billion while the Government of Nepal will contribute Rs 6 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tunnel will be of 2.7 kilometers long and will have two flyovers. The project will also cover 3 kilometers of road.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Thankot-Naubise road section is currently 9 kilometers long. The distance will be shortened to 5.7 kilometers once the tunnel is constructed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The foundation stone of the project was laid on October 21, 2019. As per the agreement signed with the Department of Roads, the contractor must complete the project within 42 months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-17', 'modified' => '2022-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14857', 'image' => '20220417021920_20201105124818_20200308111704_adahjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-17 14:18:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15112', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fall Armyworms Affect Maize Plantation across the Country', 'sub_title' => 'Government Bodies Unaware of the Situation', 'summary' => 'April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country. However, the government has not taken concrete steps for its prevention and control. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on the other hand is unaware of this situation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, the outbreak of fall armyworms is on the rise in Kathmandu Valley, Terai, hills and some Himalayan districts as well. Authorities at the concerned ministry have not taken any initiative to control and prevent the pest. The Centre for Pesticide Management and the Ministry of Agriculture do not have exact information on the extent of damage caused by the pest infestation so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the outbreak of worms is prevalent all over the country, the districts with high temperatures like Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu in western Terai and Sunsari, Rautahat and Siraha in the eastern Terai are facing greater impact of the worm infestation. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Banke, the outbreak has spread to maize planted over 3,550 hectares in Banke and about 7,000 hectares in Bardiya. The centre estimated that the worm outbreak may have spread to 700 hectares in Kailali and Dang.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhuwaneshwor Yadav, a representative farmer from Sunsari, the outbreak has spread to about 800-900 hectares of crops in Sunsari as well. Yadav said, “No concrete steps have been taken for prevention and control by the agricultural knowledge center or even the local level. On the one hand, farmers do not know how to control it, what medicine to use, while on the other hand, all government bodies are unaware of the outbreak.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the damage report of some districts is kept by the Agriculture Knowledge Center, the data of most of the districts is not available with the concerned local and central government. Sahadev Humagain, head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center said there were reports of worm outbreaks in various districts of the country but the body responsible for controlling and collecting data did not send details of the damage. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said, “Once the exact details of the damage are known, control efforts will be initiated and technicians will be dispatched. However, nothing can be done from the center alone as the bodies responsible at the local level remain unaware of the situation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been three years since the American armyworms first entered Nepal. It hides from sunrise till sunset and destroys corn leaves, stalks, kernels and later the entire plant at night. As the worm has completely adapted to the environment in a short period of time, it is not possible to eradicate it completely. Humagain said that no initiative has been taken for the control so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Agriculture is unaware that the farmers who were affected by the unseasonal rainfall last October are now being attacked by the fall armyworms. Ministry spokesperson Prakash Kumar Sanjel said that the ministry has not received any report from the concerned bodies so far. It is a well-known fact that outbreaks are common and frequent during this time of year. However, he said that the ministry had not made any plan as no major damage was reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Scientists say that this worm, which was seen in West Africa in 2016, can travel up to 100 kilometers in one night. About three years ago, this insect was first seen in various states of India for the first time in Asia. Later, it reportedly entered Nepal through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14854', 'image' => '20220415030136_maize armyworn.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 15:00:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15106', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Marks 100 Years of Systematic Documentation and Registration of Land', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba made such remarks on Thursday during a programme organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation on the occasion of 100 years of systematic documentation and registration of land in the country. He directed the subordinate bodies to address the complaints on land administration on time. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba was in favour of promoting good governance in land administration service by ensuring quality survey and credible management of data. PM Deuba added that records of land and security of historic archives should be prioritized. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed happiness over the online system of land transaction and access to personal data relating to land developed by the ministry. He also suggested other government bodies to promote such practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The written records or the registration of land plots and houses had begun exactly a 100 years ago in Nepal since 1st Baisakh, 1979 BS.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba further reminded that the government was providing lands to the poor Dalits in a bid to ensure social justice and equality guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal. The constitution has ensured such rights to landless squatters, freed-Haliyas and Kamaiyas. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed concerns that arable lands were left unused on the one hand and agricultural production was dwindling on the other, contributing to widening trade loss, and food insecurity.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Haphazard use of land has worsened the impacts of climate change, said Deuba adding that unchecked plotting of agricultural land has caused haphazard urbanization while settlements are facing risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Prime Minister also expressed concern over encroachment of public, and lands belonging to the Guthi trusts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> During the occasion, PM Deuba shared that the National Land Commission was formed by the government to resolve the problems faced by the landless squatters, landless Dalit and unmanaged settlements. (<em>With inputs from RSS</em>) </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14848', 'image' => '20220415075711_Ministry-ofland).jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 07:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15100', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Extends Best Wishes on the Occasion of New Year', 'sub_title' => 'President Calls for Promoting Entrepreneurship and Domestic Products to Decrease Trade Imbalance', 'summary' => 'April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In her message on the occasion, President Bhandari wished for peace, prosperity, good health and progress of all the Nepalis. President Bhandari spoke of the need to learn from the tough experiences of the past and move ahead accordingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president also called for promoting entrepreneurship and production of domestic products to decrease the rising trade imbalance as well as to create self-reliant economy through national capital. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She was of the view that policies and programmes aimed at creating jobs and opportunities to engage a staggering number of youths of Nepal aspiring for foreign employment should be implemented at the earliest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Head of the State also appealed to the three-tier government to be active towards realizing sustainable development goals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the upcoming Nepali year is going to be the year of election, President Bhandari argued that it is our common responsibility to conduct the May 13 local level election in a free, impartial and fearless environment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"May the upcoming New Year 2079 BS inspire to create civilized, well-cultured and just society while filling all the Nepalis with zest and zeal," the message stated. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-14', 'modified' => '2022-04-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14842', 'image' => '20220414081219_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-14 08:11:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15094', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water from Melamchi Diverted into Tunnel, likely to Reach Kathmandu in 2 Weeks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary was present when the water was diverted in the tunnel from the diversion gate No. 1 of the project in Ambathan of Sindhupalchowk. Minister Chaudhary said that he was happy to send water to the valley as per the government's target. The project officials informed that it will take two weeks for the water from the tunnel to reach the valley.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, Basudev Poudel said that it was possible to divert water as the work of cleaning the tunnel and head works was completed. Poudel said, “Even though some works are still remaining, water was sent because the cleaning of the tunnel and head works was completed.” Earlier, the government had announced to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu by mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">This is the seventh formal inauguration of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The water of Melamchi was diverted for the first time on July 5, 2020. The project was inaugurated by the then Minister Bina Magar.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Within a week, the gate of the Melamchi audit tunnel collapsed and it took about eight months to repair it. For the second time, the then Minister for water supply, Mani Thapa and Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar personally visited the site on 22 February 2021 and re-sent water back to the tunnel. The third inauguration was done on 6 March 2021 at Sundarijal by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He announced the arrival of Melamchi water in the valley by opening the gate from Sundarijal and sending it to the Bagmati River.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited then started distributing water on March 28, 2021 amid a formal programme organized for the fourth. One week later, President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the distribution of water from Melamchi at Bhrikuti mandap.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14836', 'image' => '20220413011743_melamcbi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 13:16:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15092', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Deuba Stresses on Utility Corridor for Coordinated Development ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also called for an end to the tendency of one utility agency constructing structures and the next one dismantling it after a few days due to lack of coordination. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister made such remarks while inaugurating a Consultative Seminar on the Formulation of National Urban Policy, the Urban Development Act and the Utility Corridor Act in the capital on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking on the occasion, PM Deuba said pilot projects would be initiated in some big cities from the upcoming fiscal year for implementing the concept of utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The PM viewed that it is necessary to maintain population balance through the Tarai Madhes-focussed Consolidated Urban Development Programme. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It (the programme) will be expanded to the municipalities in the mountainous and hill regions to discourage migration from the districts of these regions to the Tarai Madhes," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Deuba said that the duplicity in the development and construction works would be removed by amending and integrating the legislations related to urban development. He opined that the country's urban development would witness a sea change with the formulation of the Act related to the utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to him, the government will address the problems and challenges seen in urbanization while increasing the access to advanced national urban infrastructures through the new urban policy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will help in the proper resource mobilization for urban development as well as in ensuring inter-governmental coordination and urban good governance," the PM asserted. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that Nepal falls among the rapidly urbanizing countries in the world, he said urbanization played a role in the overall development of the country including its economic, social and political development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Deuba stated that although Nepal has been making efforts for a systematic urbanization since the Second Five-Year Plan, the cities in the country have not developed as expected. He stressed on the need of developing systematic, clean and beautiful new cities and at the same time managing the required infrastructures in the existing old cities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It is necessary to urgently start concrete works to bring improvements in the living standards of the people living in the urban areas," he said, adding that the Ministry of Urban Development has prepared the draft policy incorporating various dimensions of urban development, including major challenges, investment in infrastructures, urban governance among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14834', 'image' => '20220413081638_image_6483441(5).JPG', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 08:15:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas. The department’s Assistant information officer Dhaneshwor Poudel informed that action was taken against Raju Store located at Sankhamul, Lalitpur and S and JS Store, located at Prayag Pokhari for hoarding LPG.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Poudel said that the department booked the store owners after it was found that they were hiding the LPG from consumers while saying that there was no gas available. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Action was taken after we found Raju Store hiding 10 cylinders and S and JS store hiding 15 cylinders of LPG. Both the stores have been fined Rs 20,000 each,” Poudel said, adding that action was taken against both the stores for violating the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The market is facing shortage of cooking gas ever since the petroleum dealers, transport companies and LPG dealers began protest since March 20.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the dealers have withdrawn their protests and Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the supply of gas, consumers are still facing trouble to get the LPG. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As the price of crude oil continues to rise in the international market, the dealers allegedly started hiding gas in order to sell them at an increased price later when the NOC increases the price.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department informed that it has increased monitoring, of gas depots and gas stores and will continue the monitoring in upcoming days to expose such irregularities.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-26', 'modified' => '2022-04-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14913', 'image' => '20220426042227_1650891800.gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-26 16:21:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal's Land Classified into 11 Categories ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Based on the NLCMS, the government has classified Nepal’s land into 11 different categories including forest land, agriculture land, grassland, bush, marshland, snow land, glacier, rock, flood land, shelter land and vegetation-less land. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the forests of Nepal covered 39.99 per cent of the total land in 2000 which increased to 41.69 per cent in 2019. Similarly, the agriculture area decreased from 26.31 per cent in 2000 to 24.21 per cent in 2019. . </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to ICIMOD, the NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14908', 'image' => '20220425081518_Jiten_220422_026A3027.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 20:14:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Minister urges Army Chief Sharma to Increase Electricity Consumption ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting between the two focused on the development and consumption of electricity. On the occasion, minister Bhusal urged the Nepalese Army to increase consumption of electricity. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister urged the army to replace other kinds of fuel used in the kitchen by electricity. “For this, the ministry is ready to provide required infrastructure," said the minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister also urged the army to use electric vehicles instead of petrol/diesel vehicle in the coming days. The minister was of the view that the national army must purchase electric vehicles in the future. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the army has made vital contribution to the infrastructure development of the country, Minister Bhusal expressed the hope that the army would also contribute to the development of hydropower sector in the coming days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Army Chief Sharma said that the Nepalese Army has already moved ahead with the plan to electrify the kitchen and assured that the process will be fully implemented in the near future.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have started using large steamers to cook food. We will start using electric stoves in all the barracks in coming days,” he said, adding that the army has already started converting petrol/diesel vehicles into electric vehicles.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14907', 'image' => '20220425063600_1650791164.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 18:35:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15156', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More Investment needed to make Nepal Self-reliant in Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. Inaugurating the 'Nepal Pharma Expo 2022' at the Chitwan Expo Center in Bharatpur on Friday, she emphasized on the need to produce the medicines needed in the country within the country itself. She also highlighted the need to promote commercial farming of medicinal herbs in the country to attain the target.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President Bhandari said, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced the challenge of drug shortage. Which is why, it is necessary to increase investment in drug production and manage the supply chain. To obtain this, emphasis should be given to domestic production of medicinal herbs.” The president stressed that the state should coordinate with the private sector to make the country self-reliant in medicine.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), stated that there are problems in the country in the sectors like import and export, interest of banks and others. He said that the government should bring industry-friendly policy to get rid of the existing problems. Stating that Covid-19 taught a lot to Nepali people, he pointed out the need to make the country self-reliant in medicine as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President of Nepal Medical Association Dr. Lochan Karki said that the role of medicine is critical to keep Nepali citizens healthy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel said that the government is ready to help the pharmaceutical industry. He made such remarks at an interaction program on 'Possibilities and Challenges of Pharmaceutical Production in Nepal' held during the second day of the expo on Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> “Increase in drug production helps reduce imports. We are ready to help,” he said adding that it is time to increase the production of export-oriented goods, pointing at the declining foreign exchange reserves of Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Department of Drug Management Santosh KC remarked that foreign investment is also needed to make the country self-reliant in medicine by increasing the production of drugs. He also emphasized on the need to increase the production of essential medicines in Nepal. Speaking on the occasion, former president of the association, Deepak Prasad Dahal said that Nepal is capable of producing quality and essential medicines, and pointed out that the Drugs Act of 2035 BS should be amended.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14898', 'image' => '20220424030239_18016929_101.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 15:02:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15155', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water Supply from Melamchi Resumes from Today ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters as well as other technical reasons.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The distribution of drinking water started today (April 24) after the structures damaged by flood last year’s floods were repaired. The supply of water resumed after Minister for Drinking Water Umakanta Chaudhary inaugurated the water tank at Min Bhawan in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water supply from Melamchi was halted last May. After the repairs and reconstruction of the damaged structure, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) started distributing the drinking water to the taps from Sunday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Water Supply initiated the repair of the diversion of the pathway for water supply to Kathmandu from April after completing the maintenance and cleaning work of the project. Water from Melamchi is distributed in the Kathmandu valley via new as well as old taps as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water will soon be distributed in areas including Min Bhawan, Baneshwor, Thapathali, Mahankal (Chabahil), Anamnagar and other places. Meanwhile, water distribution has already started in Kirtipur, Khumaltar, Bode of Bhaktapur, Swayambhu, Balaju, Naya Bazaar, Kalimati, Maharajgunj and other areas starting today.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government had announced to distribute drinking water from Melamchi to the people of the valley by mid-April. KUKL is distributing water after 10 days of announcement. After decades of construction, KUKL had started distributing water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley on March 28, 2021. But at that time, distribution of drinking water had started as a test. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee Rajendra Prasad Pant informed that water was already been brought to Sundarijal of Kathmandu from the temporary structure and water distribution was possible since Sunday as the 27 km long tunnel was filled on Friday itself.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Altogether 170 million liters of water will be distributed daily in Kathmandu Valley. The project has been built with an investment of Rs 30 billion. In addition, floods and landslides from mid-June to mid-August caused a loss of Rs. 360 million.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14897', 'image' => '20220424011204_Melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 13:11:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15146', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor Facing Power Cuts for 12 Hours a Day', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. The industrialists say that they are facing unannounced power cuts for 12 hours a day through the 66 kV transmission line of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Even though the NEA has declared Nepal free from load shedding, the industries here have been affected by the recent energy crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The production of the industries has dropped to 25/30 per cent due to lack of regular supply of electricity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is power cut for 10/12 hours every day. How is production possible in this way?” an industrialist complained. The supply of electricity to the industries from the NEA's 33 and 11 kV lines is disrupted comparatively less. The industrialists receiving electricity from 66 kV line are more affected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Subodh Kumar Gupta said that the industries connected to the 66 kV line are experiencing load shedding for 12 hours a day and power tripping 5-6 times a day. Gupta said that there were problems in supply from other transmission lines as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"In the last few years, the industries had increased their production capacity due to the easy supply of electricity. But now, they are facing problems due to lack of energy. The industries in this corridor, which is facing energy problems, are now operating at 25-30 per cent of their capacity,” said Gupta.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suresh Bhattarai, head of the NEA's grid operation department, claims that the current energy shortage is short-lived. According to Bhattarai, Nepal has also been affected by the global energy crisis following Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA insists that the problem of power cuts is due to excessive load. Bhattarai said that the supply could be disrupted in the future even if there is enough energy if the planned 132 to 400 kV transmission line is not constructed soon.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA Birgunj Distribution Center Chief Jitendra Kumar Jha also said that the problem in supply of electricity is mainly due to excessive load in the transmission line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the Parwanipur-Raxaul 132 kV transmission line has been experiencing frequent power outages due to high load.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Most of the industries in the Bara-Parsa corridor are being supplied electricity from India through this transmission line. About 90 MW of electricity consumed in the corridor comes from this line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhattarai, NEA has started construction of additional 132 KV transmission lines in Parwanipur-Raxaul, 400 KV Hetauda-Dhalkebar, 400 KV Hetauda-Inaruwa and 200 KV Hetauda-Bardaghat transmission lines.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Industrialists say that the raw material of industrial establishments get wasted due to frequent power cuts, and electricity tariff is also rising. It has led to an increase in production costs and decline in quality, they say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-22', 'modified' => '2022-04-22', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14888', 'image' => '20220422115047_ffff.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-22 11:50:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15143', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations underway to Open Integrated Agriculture Market in Mahendranagar ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. The municipality is constructing the structure with the help of Sundarpur-based Agribusiness Promotion Support and Training Center.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Municipal engineer Jayaraj Bhatta said that 150 stalls will be constructed in the integrated agricultural market, among which, the municipality is helping construct 100 shutters in collaboration with the center and the rest with its own resources.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Two separate contracts were signed for the construction of the integrated agricultural market structure near the open space of Bhimdutta-4.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A contract worth Rs 15 million was signed with MD Construction for 50 shutters. An agreement worth Rs 39.6 million was signed with MK / Niraj JV for the construction of 100 shutters. According to Engineer Bhatta, 50 percent construction of both the projects is completed. The initial plan is to complete the work by May 2023.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Mayor Surendra Bista, after the construction of the structure, all kinds of agricultural products will be integrated and the market will be managed accordingly. The municipality is working to increase agricultural production including introduction of programmes like one ward one product, pocket area programme, as well as providing support like agricultural subsidy, cooperation with the cooperative sector etc. The internal resources of the municipality as well is expected to increase after the construction of the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14884', 'image' => '20220421054028_Bhindutta_Municipality.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 17:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15138', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Third BIMSTEC Ministers’ Meeting Agrees to Establish Power Trade Centre ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the press statement, the virtual meeting agreed to implement grid inter-connection and constitute a ‘BIMSTEC Grid Inter-Connection Coordination Committee’ for preparing necessary work plan. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting also agreed to develop a master plan on BIMSTEC Grid Mutual Installation Coordination Committee with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. Likewise, the meeting agreed to develop policy and tariff system for power trade. Also, the meeting reached an understanding to develop a group with experts to frame a plan of cooperation on power trade among BIMSTEC countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The BIMSTEC energy centre will be established for undertaking research on energy and exchanging experience as well as strengthening collaboration among the member nations. A master plan and action plan will be developed and a fund required for the operation of the center will also be set up, the statement added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Presiding over the meeting, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said the BIMSTEC countries possess adequate natural resources and stressed that energy and renewable natural resource should be used as energy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stressing the need to make adequate financial investment in energy promotion, she said technology transfer should be promoted in the BIMSTEC region. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14880', 'image' => '20220421081540_-1558975331.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 08:14:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15136', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Where have LPG Cylinders Gone?', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prem Chand</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas. Under normal circumstances, the state-owned corporation supplies up to 70 bullets of LPG per day, but now, it is supplying up to 135 bullets daily. During monitoring, it was found that the industries have also increased the production of cooking gas. However, there is still a shortage of gas in the market. Consumers have to wait for at least a week to get one cylinder of gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Netra Kafle, the head of the corporation's gas distribution department, it is now off-season in terms of gas consumption. In the past, industrialists used to place Product Delivery Order (PDO) for 70 to 80 bullets of LPG daily as gas consumption is relatively low in summer. There was a problem in gas supply when the gas industrialists did not place the PDO demanding an increase in transportation fare from last March 20. Industrialists who did not issue PDO till April 2 started placing the order from April 3.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Since then, they are placing almost twice as many PDOs as usual. According to the corporation, gas industrialists are placing 125 to 135 bullets of PDO daily. However, consumers are not getting cooking gas easily. Shraman Shrestha, who lives in Babarmahal, Kathmandu said that he brought gas from Arubari with the help of personal connections after not getting any gas for a week.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection is also receiving complaints on a daily basis of gas not being available. According to Dhaneshwor Poudel, deputy information officer of the department, on an average, 2 to 3 complaints are registered in the department daily for not getting gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The corporation also admitted that gas is not easily available in the market. Kafle said there is a shortage of gas because industrialists and gas dealers are not accountable to the consumers. “If the businessmen had been accountable to the consumers, they would have revealed the truth.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The industrialists also admitted that the corporation has increased gas supply but there is a shortage in the market. Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, general secretary of the LP Gas Industry Association, said that even though the gas supply is above 100 bullets daily, the supply has not eased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is no shortage of gas. It's just a little less. Earlier, loading of gas was halted for 8/10 days for not being able to pay for the transportation charge. It seems like there is a shortage due to the gap. But that’s not the case.” He said that under normal circumstances, 70 to 80 bullets of gas were imported daily, but now up to 120 bullets of gas are being imported and all the imported gas is sent to the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the dealers say that the number of gas cylinders being supplied is constant and that there has not been any increase. Chandra Thapa, senior vice-president of the Gas Dealers Federation said that under normal circumstances, an average of one vehicle of gas is supplied to the dealer from one industry and it is the same at present as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Thapa says that there is no difference in the quantity of gas supplied to the dealers from the industry. He said that consumers are trying to keep stocks as there are rumors of rising gas prices and rising crude oil prices in the international market. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is news of Nepal Oil Corporation being at loss due to LP gas. Consumers try to keep stocks due to the fear of rising prices and shortages, causing difficulty in fulfilling the demand,” he said. Consumer rights activists doubt that the industrialists are buying more gas but not supplying to the sellers in the hope that the NOC will increase the price of LP gas. Consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan accused the industrialists and businessmen of hiding gas with the intention of selling it at increased prices. Maharjan said, “Industrialists and dealers are expecting the prices to go up in the international market and the domestic rates will also go up.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has stated that they have started gas-centric monitoring. Deputy Information Officer of the department Poudel said they found during monitoring on Monday that the production of Everest Gas has increased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Everest Gas has been producing up to 4,000 cylinders of gas per day under normal conditions, but now it is producing up to 6,000 cylinders,” he said, adding, “Since it sent the gas cylinders to the dealers, there are doubts that dealers might be hiding the gas cylinders. We are yet to monitor the dealers yet.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-20', 'modified' => '2022-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14878', 'image' => '20220420033543_gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-20 15:35:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15115', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Construction of Nagdhunga Tunnel Uncertain due to Obstruction by Locals', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. The construction of the project has become uncertain after locals affected by the project staged protests demanding compensation for land, construction of blacktopped road, and a football stadium. Locals residing towards Kathmandu from the project site also vandalized the project office.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Locals of Totipakha in Kathmandu to the east side of the tunnel started protest on April 11 stating that their demands have not been met. Japanese construction company Hajma Ando Corporation stopped work after locals of Chandragiri Municipality-2 attacked the project office following a protest. Project Chief Nareshman Shakya said that the company has demanded action against the culprits and will stop work until security is guaranteed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He said that the construction work has been stopped now, and the construction itself is uncertain. On Sunday (today), the District Administration Office invited the project officials and the locals for discussion. Shakya said that the construction can be started only if there is an agreement, or it will remain uncertain. "We will not work until we get security assurance," Shakya said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 500 Nepalese and Japanese workers were working in the tunnel. He said that the Japanese company has been claiming Rs 15 million daily in fines since April 11 for the onstruction in construction work. Nepal has to pay the amount daily due to obstruction in the project being constructed with the help of Japanese loan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"The state has a to incur a daily loss of Rs 15 million for 10 tankers of water," he said, adding that the amount claimed by the company has reached Rs 75 million as of Saturday. The construction company claimed that the amount should be paid by Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the construction works were delayed due to Covid-19, the company has been digging 10 meters of tunnel of late. The project deadline has been extended for three months due to a halt in work because of Covid-19.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The locals claim that the water level in the area has dropped due to the project and have also demanded proper management of water.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claimed that the decline in water level was due to drought. Nevertheless, the project was planning to provide 5 tankers of water to the locals daily. “However, they suddenly came and vandalized the office,” said Shakya, adding, “Besides, they have made demands unrelated to the project. The project cannot meet those demands. The demand within the project will be addressed,” said Shakya.' </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project had agreed to distribute water, but now the locals are demanding that water pipes be installed in every house, said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">To address the demand of the locals for connecting the pipeline through the municipality, a budget has been requested from the Ministry of Finance. "Rs 800,000 has been disbursed for this purpose alone on Friday," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">At present, the tunnel work is 48 percent complete. As the finishing work has been taken along with it, about 36 percent of the work of the project has been completed. According to Shakya, the problem of land compensation in Balambu has been resolved by 70 percent and now the locals are demolishing private houses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claims that the project has been fulfilling the reasonable demands of the locals based on their information. However, he clarified that the demands that do not fall within the scope of the project cannot be addressed just because they resort to vandalism.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project is being undertaken with the concessional loan provided by the Government of Japan. The total investment for the project is estimated to be around Rs 22 billion. JICA will invest Rs 16 billion while the Government of Nepal will contribute Rs 6 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tunnel will be of 2.7 kilometers long and will have two flyovers. The project will also cover 3 kilometers of road.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Thankot-Naubise road section is currently 9 kilometers long. The distance will be shortened to 5.7 kilometers once the tunnel is constructed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The foundation stone of the project was laid on October 21, 2019. As per the agreement signed with the Department of Roads, the contractor must complete the project within 42 months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-17', 'modified' => '2022-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14857', 'image' => '20220417021920_20201105124818_20200308111704_adahjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-17 14:18:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15112', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fall Armyworms Affect Maize Plantation across the Country', 'sub_title' => 'Government Bodies Unaware of the Situation', 'summary' => 'April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country. However, the government has not taken concrete steps for its prevention and control. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on the other hand is unaware of this situation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, the outbreak of fall armyworms is on the rise in Kathmandu Valley, Terai, hills and some Himalayan districts as well. Authorities at the concerned ministry have not taken any initiative to control and prevent the pest. The Centre for Pesticide Management and the Ministry of Agriculture do not have exact information on the extent of damage caused by the pest infestation so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the outbreak of worms is prevalent all over the country, the districts with high temperatures like Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu in western Terai and Sunsari, Rautahat and Siraha in the eastern Terai are facing greater impact of the worm infestation. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Banke, the outbreak has spread to maize planted over 3,550 hectares in Banke and about 7,000 hectares in Bardiya. The centre estimated that the worm outbreak may have spread to 700 hectares in Kailali and Dang.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhuwaneshwor Yadav, a representative farmer from Sunsari, the outbreak has spread to about 800-900 hectares of crops in Sunsari as well. Yadav said, “No concrete steps have been taken for prevention and control by the agricultural knowledge center or even the local level. On the one hand, farmers do not know how to control it, what medicine to use, while on the other hand, all government bodies are unaware of the outbreak.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the damage report of some districts is kept by the Agriculture Knowledge Center, the data of most of the districts is not available with the concerned local and central government. Sahadev Humagain, head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center said there were reports of worm outbreaks in various districts of the country but the body responsible for controlling and collecting data did not send details of the damage. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said, “Once the exact details of the damage are known, control efforts will be initiated and technicians will be dispatched. However, nothing can be done from the center alone as the bodies responsible at the local level remain unaware of the situation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been three years since the American armyworms first entered Nepal. It hides from sunrise till sunset and destroys corn leaves, stalks, kernels and later the entire plant at night. As the worm has completely adapted to the environment in a short period of time, it is not possible to eradicate it completely. Humagain said that no initiative has been taken for the control so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Agriculture is unaware that the farmers who were affected by the unseasonal rainfall last October are now being attacked by the fall armyworms. Ministry spokesperson Prakash Kumar Sanjel said that the ministry has not received any report from the concerned bodies so far. It is a well-known fact that outbreaks are common and frequent during this time of year. However, he said that the ministry had not made any plan as no major damage was reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Scientists say that this worm, which was seen in West Africa in 2016, can travel up to 100 kilometers in one night. About three years ago, this insect was first seen in various states of India for the first time in Asia. Later, it reportedly entered Nepal through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14854', 'image' => '20220415030136_maize armyworn.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 15:00:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15106', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Marks 100 Years of Systematic Documentation and Registration of Land', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba made such remarks on Thursday during a programme organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation on the occasion of 100 years of systematic documentation and registration of land in the country. He directed the subordinate bodies to address the complaints on land administration on time. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba was in favour of promoting good governance in land administration service by ensuring quality survey and credible management of data. PM Deuba added that records of land and security of historic archives should be prioritized. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed happiness over the online system of land transaction and access to personal data relating to land developed by the ministry. He also suggested other government bodies to promote such practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The written records or the registration of land plots and houses had begun exactly a 100 years ago in Nepal since 1st Baisakh, 1979 BS.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba further reminded that the government was providing lands to the poor Dalits in a bid to ensure social justice and equality guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal. The constitution has ensured such rights to landless squatters, freed-Haliyas and Kamaiyas. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed concerns that arable lands were left unused on the one hand and agricultural production was dwindling on the other, contributing to widening trade loss, and food insecurity.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Haphazard use of land has worsened the impacts of climate change, said Deuba adding that unchecked plotting of agricultural land has caused haphazard urbanization while settlements are facing risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Prime Minister also expressed concern over encroachment of public, and lands belonging to the Guthi trusts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> During the occasion, PM Deuba shared that the National Land Commission was formed by the government to resolve the problems faced by the landless squatters, landless Dalit and unmanaged settlements. (<em>With inputs from RSS</em>) </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14848', 'image' => '20220415075711_Ministry-ofland).jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 07:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15100', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Extends Best Wishes on the Occasion of New Year', 'sub_title' => 'President Calls for Promoting Entrepreneurship and Domestic Products to Decrease Trade Imbalance', 'summary' => 'April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In her message on the occasion, President Bhandari wished for peace, prosperity, good health and progress of all the Nepalis. President Bhandari spoke of the need to learn from the tough experiences of the past and move ahead accordingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president also called for promoting entrepreneurship and production of domestic products to decrease the rising trade imbalance as well as to create self-reliant economy through national capital. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She was of the view that policies and programmes aimed at creating jobs and opportunities to engage a staggering number of youths of Nepal aspiring for foreign employment should be implemented at the earliest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Head of the State also appealed to the three-tier government to be active towards realizing sustainable development goals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the upcoming Nepali year is going to be the year of election, President Bhandari argued that it is our common responsibility to conduct the May 13 local level election in a free, impartial and fearless environment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"May the upcoming New Year 2079 BS inspire to create civilized, well-cultured and just society while filling all the Nepalis with zest and zeal," the message stated. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-14', 'modified' => '2022-04-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14842', 'image' => '20220414081219_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-14 08:11:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15094', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water from Melamchi Diverted into Tunnel, likely to Reach Kathmandu in 2 Weeks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary was present when the water was diverted in the tunnel from the diversion gate No. 1 of the project in Ambathan of Sindhupalchowk. Minister Chaudhary said that he was happy to send water to the valley as per the government's target. The project officials informed that it will take two weeks for the water from the tunnel to reach the valley.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, Basudev Poudel said that it was possible to divert water as the work of cleaning the tunnel and head works was completed. Poudel said, “Even though some works are still remaining, water was sent because the cleaning of the tunnel and head works was completed.” Earlier, the government had announced to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu by mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">This is the seventh formal inauguration of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The water of Melamchi was diverted for the first time on July 5, 2020. The project was inaugurated by the then Minister Bina Magar.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Within a week, the gate of the Melamchi audit tunnel collapsed and it took about eight months to repair it. For the second time, the then Minister for water supply, Mani Thapa and Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar personally visited the site on 22 February 2021 and re-sent water back to the tunnel. The third inauguration was done on 6 March 2021 at Sundarijal by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He announced the arrival of Melamchi water in the valley by opening the gate from Sundarijal and sending it to the Bagmati River.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited then started distributing water on March 28, 2021 amid a formal programme organized for the fourth. One week later, President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the distribution of water from Melamchi at Bhrikuti mandap.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14836', 'image' => '20220413011743_melamcbi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 13:16:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15092', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Deuba Stresses on Utility Corridor for Coordinated Development ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also called for an end to the tendency of one utility agency constructing structures and the next one dismantling it after a few days due to lack of coordination. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister made such remarks while inaugurating a Consultative Seminar on the Formulation of National Urban Policy, the Urban Development Act and the Utility Corridor Act in the capital on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking on the occasion, PM Deuba said pilot projects would be initiated in some big cities from the upcoming fiscal year for implementing the concept of utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The PM viewed that it is necessary to maintain population balance through the Tarai Madhes-focussed Consolidated Urban Development Programme. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It (the programme) will be expanded to the municipalities in the mountainous and hill regions to discourage migration from the districts of these regions to the Tarai Madhes," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Deuba said that the duplicity in the development and construction works would be removed by amending and integrating the legislations related to urban development. He opined that the country's urban development would witness a sea change with the formulation of the Act related to the utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to him, the government will address the problems and challenges seen in urbanization while increasing the access to advanced national urban infrastructures through the new urban policy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will help in the proper resource mobilization for urban development as well as in ensuring inter-governmental coordination and urban good governance," the PM asserted. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that Nepal falls among the rapidly urbanizing countries in the world, he said urbanization played a role in the overall development of the country including its economic, social and political development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Deuba stated that although Nepal has been making efforts for a systematic urbanization since the Second Five-Year Plan, the cities in the country have not developed as expected. He stressed on the need of developing systematic, clean and beautiful new cities and at the same time managing the required infrastructures in the existing old cities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It is necessary to urgently start concrete works to bring improvements in the living standards of the people living in the urban areas," he said, adding that the Ministry of Urban Development has prepared the draft policy incorporating various dimensions of urban development, including major challenges, investment in infrastructures, urban governance among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14834', 'image' => '20220413081638_image_6483441(5).JPG', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 08:15:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 26: The Department of Commerce and Supply and Consumer Protection took action against two traders for creating artificial shortage of cooking gas. The department’s Assistant information officer Dhaneshwor Poudel informed that action was taken against Raju Store located at Sankhamul, Lalitpur and S and JS Store, located at Prayag Pokhari for hoarding LPG.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Poudel said that the department booked the store owners after it was found that they were hiding the LPG from consumers while saying that there was no gas available. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Action was taken after we found Raju Store hiding 10 cylinders and S and JS store hiding 15 cylinders of LPG. Both the stores have been fined Rs 20,000 each,” Poudel said, adding that action was taken against both the stores for violating the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The market is facing shortage of cooking gas ever since the petroleum dealers, transport companies and LPG dealers began protest since March 20.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the dealers have withdrawn their protests and Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the supply of gas, consumers are still facing trouble to get the LPG. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As the price of crude oil continues to rise in the international market, the dealers allegedly started hiding gas in order to sell them at an increased price later when the NOC increases the price.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The department informed that it has increased monitoring, of gas depots and gas stores and will continue the monitoring in upcoming days to expose such irregularities.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-26', 'modified' => '2022-04-26', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14913', 'image' => '20220426042227_1650891800.gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-26 16:21:48', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15166', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Nepal's Land Classified into 11 Categories ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 25: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) announced the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) in collaboration with various stakeholders on the occasion of the Earth Day on April 22. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Based on the NLCMS, the government has classified Nepal’s land into 11 different categories including forest land, agriculture land, grassland, bush, marshland, snow land, glacier, rock, flood land, shelter land and vegetation-less land. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to the state-owned national news agency RSS, the forests of Nepal covered 39.99 per cent of the total land in 2000 which increased to 41.69 per cent in 2019. Similarly, the agriculture area decreased from 26.31 per cent in 2000 to 24.21 per cent in 2019. . </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">According to ICIMOD, the NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14908', 'image' => '20220425081518_Jiten_220422_026A3027.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 20:14:24', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15165', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Energy Minister urges Army Chief Sharma to Increase Electricity Consumption ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 25: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal held a meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff, General Prabhu Ram Sharma at her office in Singha Durbar on Sunday. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting between the two focused on the development and consumption of electricity. On the occasion, minister Bhusal urged the Nepalese Army to increase consumption of electricity. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister urged the army to replace other kinds of fuel used in the kitchen by electricity. “For this, the ministry is ready to provide required infrastructure," said the minister. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The minister also urged the army to use electric vehicles instead of petrol/diesel vehicle in the coming days. The minister was of the view that the national army must purchase electric vehicles in the future. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the army has made vital contribution to the infrastructure development of the country, Minister Bhusal expressed the hope that the army would also contribute to the development of hydropower sector in the coming days. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">On the occasion, Army Chief Sharma said that the Nepalese Army has already moved ahead with the plan to electrify the kitchen and assured that the process will be fully implemented in the near future.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">“We have started using large steamers to cook food. We will start using electric stoves in all the barracks in coming days,” he said, adding that the army has already started converting petrol/diesel vehicles into electric vehicles.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-25', 'modified' => '2022-04-25', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14907', 'image' => '20220425063600_1650791164.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-25 18:35:20', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15156', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'More Investment needed to make Nepal Self-reliant in Medicines', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that more investment is necessary to make the country self-reliant in medicines. Inaugurating the 'Nepal Pharma Expo 2022' at the Chitwan Expo Center in Bharatpur on Friday, she emphasized on the need to produce the medicines needed in the country within the country itself. She also highlighted the need to promote commercial farming of medicinal herbs in the country to attain the target.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President Bhandari said, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced the challenge of drug shortage. Which is why, it is necessary to increase investment in drug production and manage the supply chain. To obtain this, emphasis should be given to domestic production of medicinal herbs.” The president stressed that the state should coordinate with the private sector to make the country self-reliant in medicine.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Speaking on the occasion, Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), stated that there are problems in the country in the sectors like import and export, interest of banks and others. He said that the government should bring industry-friendly policy to get rid of the existing problems. Stating that Covid-19 taught a lot to Nepali people, he pointed out the need to make the country self-reliant in medicine as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">President of Nepal Medical Association Dr. Lochan Karki said that the role of medicine is critical to keep Nepali citizens healthy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel said that the government is ready to help the pharmaceutical industry. He made such remarks at an interaction program on 'Possibilities and Challenges of Pharmaceutical Production in Nepal' held during the second day of the expo on Saturday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> “Increase in drug production helps reduce imports. We are ready to help,” he said adding that it is time to increase the production of export-oriented goods, pointing at the declining foreign exchange reserves of Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Department of Drug Management Santosh KC remarked that foreign investment is also needed to make the country self-reliant in medicine by increasing the production of drugs. He also emphasized on the need to increase the production of essential medicines in Nepal. Speaking on the occasion, former president of the association, Deepak Prasad Dahal said that Nepal is capable of producing quality and essential medicines, and pointed out that the Drugs Act of 2035 BS should be amended.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14898', 'image' => '20220424030239_18016929_101.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 15:02:03', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 4 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15155', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water Supply from Melamchi Resumes from Today ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 24: The residents of Kathmandu Valley finally have access to drinking water from Melamchi almost a year after the supply has halted due to natural disasters as well as other technical reasons.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The distribution of drinking water started today (April 24) after the structures damaged by flood last year’s floods were repaired. The supply of water resumed after Minister for Drinking Water Umakanta Chaudhary inaugurated the water tank at Min Bhawan in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water supply from Melamchi was halted last May. After the repairs and reconstruction of the damaged structure, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) started distributing the drinking water to the taps from Sunday.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Water Supply initiated the repair of the diversion of the pathway for water supply to Kathmandu from April after completing the maintenance and cleaning work of the project. Water from Melamchi is distributed in the Kathmandu valley via new as well as old taps as well.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Water will soon be distributed in areas including Min Bhawan, Baneshwor, Thapathali, Mahankal (Chabahil), Anamnagar and other places. Meanwhile, water distribution has already started in Kirtipur, Khumaltar, Bode of Bhaktapur, Swayambhu, Balaju, Naya Bazaar, Kalimati, Maharajgunj and other areas starting today.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The government had announced to distribute drinking water from Melamchi to the people of the valley by mid-April. KUKL is distributing water after 10 days of announcement. After decades of construction, KUKL had started distributing water from Melamchi in the Kathmandu Valley on March 28, 2021. But at that time, distribution of drinking water had started as a test. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Spokesperson of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee Rajendra Prasad Pant informed that water was already been brought to Sundarijal of Kathmandu from the temporary structure and water distribution was possible since Sunday as the 27 km long tunnel was filled on Friday itself.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Altogether 170 million liters of water will be distributed daily in Kathmandu Valley. The project has been built with an investment of Rs 30 billion. In addition, floods and landslides from mid-June to mid-August caused a loss of Rs. 360 million.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-24', 'modified' => '2022-04-24', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14897', 'image' => '20220424011204_Melamchi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-24 13:11:09', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 5 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15146', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor Facing Power Cuts for 12 Hours a Day', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 22: Industries of Bara-Parsa corridor are facing an acute shortage of energy at the moment. The industrialists say that they are facing unannounced power cuts for 12 hours a day through the 66 kV transmission line of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Even though the NEA has declared Nepal free from load shedding, the industries here have been affected by the recent energy crisis.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The production of the industries has dropped to 25/30 per cent due to lack of regular supply of electricity.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is power cut for 10/12 hours every day. How is production possible in this way?” an industrialist complained. The supply of electricity to the industries from the NEA's 33 and 11 kV lines is disrupted comparatively less. The industrialists receiving electricity from 66 kV line are more affected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Subodh Kumar Gupta said that the industries connected to the 66 kV line are experiencing load shedding for 12 hours a day and power tripping 5-6 times a day. Gupta said that there were problems in supply from other transmission lines as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">"In the last few years, the industries had increased their production capacity due to the easy supply of electricity. But now, they are facing problems due to lack of energy. The industries in this corridor, which is facing energy problems, are now operating at 25-30 per cent of their capacity,” said Gupta.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suresh Bhattarai, head of the NEA's grid operation department, claims that the current energy shortage is short-lived. According to Bhattarai, Nepal has also been affected by the global energy crisis following Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA insists that the problem of power cuts is due to excessive load. Bhattarai said that the supply could be disrupted in the future even if there is enough energy if the planned 132 to 400 kV transmission line is not constructed soon.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NEA Birgunj Distribution Center Chief Jitendra Kumar Jha also said that the problem in supply of electricity is mainly due to excessive load in the transmission line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said that the Parwanipur-Raxaul 132 kV transmission line has been experiencing frequent power outages due to high load.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Most of the industries in the Bara-Parsa corridor are being supplied electricity from India through this transmission line. About 90 MW of electricity consumed in the corridor comes from this line.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhattarai, NEA has started construction of additional 132 KV transmission lines in Parwanipur-Raxaul, 400 KV Hetauda-Dhalkebar, 400 KV Hetauda-Inaruwa and 200 KV Hetauda-Bardaghat transmission lines.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Industrialists say that the raw material of industrial establishments get wasted due to frequent power cuts, and electricity tariff is also rising. It has led to an increase in production costs and decline in quality, they say.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-22', 'modified' => '2022-04-22', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14888', 'image' => '20220422115047_ffff.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-22 11:50:08', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 6 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15143', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Preparations underway to Open Integrated Agriculture Market in Mahendranagar ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 21: Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur is constructing an integrated agriculture market for marketing of agricultural products. The municipality is constructing the structure with the help of Sundarpur-based Agribusiness Promotion Support and Training Center.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Municipal engineer Jayaraj Bhatta said that 150 stalls will be constructed in the integrated agricultural market, among which, the municipality is helping construct 100 shutters in collaboration with the center and the rest with its own resources.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Two separate contracts were signed for the construction of the integrated agricultural market structure near the open space of Bhimdutta-4.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A contract worth Rs 15 million was signed with MD Construction for 50 shutters. An agreement worth Rs 39.6 million was signed with MK / Niraj JV for the construction of 100 shutters. According to Engineer Bhatta, 50 percent construction of both the projects is completed. The initial plan is to complete the work by May 2023.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Mayor Surendra Bista, after the construction of the structure, all kinds of agricultural products will be integrated and the market will be managed accordingly. The municipality is working to increase agricultural production including introduction of programmes like one ward one product, pocket area programme, as well as providing support like agricultural subsidy, cooperation with the cooperative sector etc. The internal resources of the municipality as well is expected to increase after the construction of the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14884', 'image' => '20220421054028_Bhindutta_Municipality.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 17:39:52', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 7 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15138', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Third BIMSTEC Ministers’ Meeting Agrees to Establish Power Trade Centre ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 21: The third BIMSTEC energy ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded on Wednesday with a 12-point joint statement to facilitate power trade, prepare a master plan on ‘grid connection’ and establish power trade centre. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">As stated in the press statement, the virtual meeting agreed to implement grid inter-connection and constitute a ‘BIMSTEC Grid Inter-Connection Coordination Committee’ for preparing necessary work plan. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The meeting also agreed to develop a master plan on BIMSTEC Grid Mutual Installation Coordination Committee with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. Likewise, the meeting agreed to develop policy and tariff system for power trade. Also, the meeting reached an understanding to develop a group with experts to frame a plan of cooperation on power trade among BIMSTEC countries. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The BIMSTEC energy centre will be established for undertaking research on energy and exchanging experience as well as strengthening collaboration among the member nations. A master plan and action plan will be developed and a fund required for the operation of the center will also be set up, the statement added. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Presiding over the meeting, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said the BIMSTEC countries possess adequate natural resources and stressed that energy and renewable natural resource should be used as energy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stressing the need to make adequate financial investment in energy promotion, she said technology transfer should be promoted in the BIMSTEC region. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-21', 'modified' => '2022-04-21', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14880', 'image' => '20220421081540_-1558975331.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-21 08:14:38', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 8 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15136', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Where have LPG Cylinders Gone?', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Prem Chand</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 20: Nepal Oil Corporation is currently supplying almost double the normal amount of cooking gas. Under normal circumstances, the state-owned corporation supplies up to 70 bullets of LPG per day, but now, it is supplying up to 135 bullets daily. During monitoring, it was found that the industries have also increased the production of cooking gas. However, there is still a shortage of gas in the market. Consumers have to wait for at least a week to get one cylinder of gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Netra Kafle, the head of the corporation's gas distribution department, it is now off-season in terms of gas consumption. In the past, industrialists used to place Product Delivery Order (PDO) for 70 to 80 bullets of LPG daily as gas consumption is relatively low in summer. There was a problem in gas supply when the gas industrialists did not place the PDO demanding an increase in transportation fare from last March 20. Industrialists who did not issue PDO till April 2 started placing the order from April 3.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Since then, they are placing almost twice as many PDOs as usual. According to the corporation, gas industrialists are placing 125 to 135 bullets of PDO daily. However, consumers are not getting cooking gas easily. Shraman Shrestha, who lives in Babarmahal, Kathmandu said that he brought gas from Arubari with the help of personal connections after not getting any gas for a week.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection is also receiving complaints on a daily basis of gas not being available. According to Dhaneshwor Poudel, deputy information officer of the department, on an average, 2 to 3 complaints are registered in the department daily for not getting gas.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The corporation also admitted that gas is not easily available in the market. Kafle said there is a shortage of gas because industrialists and gas dealers are not accountable to the consumers. “If the businessmen had been accountable to the consumers, they would have revealed the truth.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The industrialists also admitted that the corporation has increased gas supply but there is a shortage in the market. Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, general secretary of the LP Gas Industry Association, said that even though the gas supply is above 100 bullets daily, the supply has not eased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is no shortage of gas. It's just a little less. Earlier, loading of gas was halted for 8/10 days for not being able to pay for the transportation charge. It seems like there is a shortage due to the gap. But that’s not the case.” He said that under normal circumstances, 70 to 80 bullets of gas were imported daily, but now up to 120 bullets of gas are being imported and all the imported gas is sent to the market.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">However, the dealers say that the number of gas cylinders being supplied is constant and that there has not been any increase. Chandra Thapa, senior vice-president of the Gas Dealers Federation said that under normal circumstances, an average of one vehicle of gas is supplied to the dealer from one industry and it is the same at present as well.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Thapa says that there is no difference in the quantity of gas supplied to the dealers from the industry. He said that consumers are trying to keep stocks as there are rumors of rising gas prices and rising crude oil prices in the international market. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“There is news of Nepal Oil Corporation being at loss due to LP gas. Consumers try to keep stocks due to the fear of rising prices and shortages, causing difficulty in fulfilling the demand,” he said. Consumer rights activists doubt that the industrialists are buying more gas but not supplying to the sellers in the hope that the NOC will increase the price of LP gas. Consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan accused the industrialists and businessmen of hiding gas with the intention of selling it at increased prices. Maharjan said, “Industrialists and dealers are expecting the prices to go up in the international market and the domestic rates will also go up.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has stated that they have started gas-centric monitoring. Deputy Information Officer of the department Poudel said they found during monitoring on Monday that the production of Everest Gas has increased. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Everest Gas has been producing up to 4,000 cylinders of gas per day under normal conditions, but now it is producing up to 6,000 cylinders,” he said, adding, “Since it sent the gas cylinders to the dealers, there are doubts that dealers might be hiding the gas cylinders. We are yet to monitor the dealers yet.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-20', 'modified' => '2022-04-20', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14878', 'image' => '20220420033543_gas.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-20 15:35:05', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 9 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15115', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Construction of Nagdhunga Tunnel Uncertain due to Obstruction by Locals', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 17: The construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel has been halted for five days due to the obstruction created by the locals. The construction of the project has become uncertain after locals affected by the project staged protests demanding compensation for land, construction of blacktopped road, and a football stadium. Locals residing towards Kathmandu from the project site also vandalized the project office.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Locals of Totipakha in Kathmandu to the east side of the tunnel started protest on April 11 stating that their demands have not been met. Japanese construction company Hajma Ando Corporation stopped work after locals of Chandragiri Municipality-2 attacked the project office following a protest. Project Chief Nareshman Shakya said that the company has demanded action against the culprits and will stop work until security is guaranteed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">He said that the construction work has been stopped now, and the construction itself is uncertain. On Sunday (today), the District Administration Office invited the project officials and the locals for discussion. Shakya said that the construction can be started only if there is an agreement, or it will remain uncertain. "We will not work until we get security assurance," Shakya said.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">More than 500 Nepalese and Japanese workers were working in the tunnel. He said that the Japanese company has been claiming Rs 15 million daily in fines since April 11 for the onstruction in construction work. Nepal has to pay the amount daily due to obstruction in the project being constructed with the help of Japanese loan.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">"The state has a to incur a daily loss of Rs 15 million for 10 tankers of water," he said, adding that the amount claimed by the company has reached Rs 75 million as of Saturday. The construction company claimed that the amount should be paid by Nepal.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Although the construction works were delayed due to Covid-19, the company has been digging 10 meters of tunnel of late. The project deadline has been extended for three months due to a halt in work because of Covid-19.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The locals claim that the water level in the area has dropped due to the project and have also demanded proper management of water.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claimed that the decline in water level was due to drought. Nevertheless, the project was planning to provide 5 tankers of water to the locals daily. “However, they suddenly came and vandalized the office,” said Shakya, adding, “Besides, they have made demands unrelated to the project. The project cannot meet those demands. The demand within the project will be addressed,” said Shakya.' </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project had agreed to distribute water, but now the locals are demanding that water pipes be installed in every house, said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">To address the demand of the locals for connecting the pipeline through the municipality, a budget has been requested from the Ministry of Finance. "Rs 800,000 has been disbursed for this purpose alone on Friday," said Shakya.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">At present, the tunnel work is 48 percent complete. As the finishing work has been taken along with it, about 36 percent of the work of the project has been completed. According to Shakya, the problem of land compensation in Balambu has been resolved by 70 percent and now the locals are demolishing private houses.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Shakya claims that the project has been fulfilling the reasonable demands of the locals based on their information. However, he clarified that the demands that do not fall within the scope of the project cannot be addressed just because they resort to vandalism.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The project is being undertaken with the concessional loan provided by the Government of Japan. The total investment for the project is estimated to be around Rs 22 billion. JICA will invest Rs 16 billion while the Government of Nepal will contribute Rs 6 billion.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The tunnel will be of 2.7 kilometers long and will have two flyovers. The project will also cover 3 kilometers of road.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Thankot-Naubise road section is currently 9 kilometers long. The distance will be shortened to 5.7 kilometers once the tunnel is constructed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The foundation stone of the project was laid on October 21, 2019. As per the agreement signed with the Department of Roads, the contractor must complete the project within 42 months.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-17', 'modified' => '2022-04-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14857', 'image' => '20220417021920_20201105124818_20200308111704_adahjj.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-17 14:18:23', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 10 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15112', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Fall Armyworms Affect Maize Plantation across the Country', 'sub_title' => 'Government Bodies Unaware of the Situation', 'summary' => 'April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 15: Outbreaks of fall armyworm have damaged maize planted by farmers across the country. However, the government has not taken concrete steps for its prevention and control. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on the other hand is unaware of this situation.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, the outbreak of fall armyworms is on the rise in Kathmandu Valley, Terai, hills and some Himalayan districts as well. Authorities at the concerned ministry have not taken any initiative to control and prevent the pest. The Centre for Pesticide Management and the Ministry of Agriculture do not have exact information on the extent of damage caused by the pest infestation so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the outbreak of worms is prevalent all over the country, the districts with high temperatures like Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu in western Terai and Sunsari, Rautahat and Siraha in the eastern Terai are facing greater impact of the worm infestation. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Banke, the outbreak has spread to maize planted over 3,550 hectares in Banke and about 7,000 hectares in Bardiya. The centre estimated that the worm outbreak may have spread to 700 hectares in Kailali and Dang.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">According to Bhuwaneshwor Yadav, a representative farmer from Sunsari, the outbreak has spread to about 800-900 hectares of crops in Sunsari as well. Yadav said, “No concrete steps have been taken for prevention and control by the agricultural knowledge center or even the local level. On the one hand, farmers do not know how to control it, what medicine to use, while on the other hand, all government bodies are unaware of the outbreak.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Although the damage report of some districts is kept by the Agriculture Knowledge Center, the data of most of the districts is not available with the concerned local and central government. Sahadev Humagain, head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center said there were reports of worm outbreaks in various districts of the country but the body responsible for controlling and collecting data did not send details of the damage. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">He said, “Once the exact details of the damage are known, control efforts will be initiated and technicians will be dispatched. However, nothing can be done from the center alone as the bodies responsible at the local level remain unaware of the situation.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">It has been three years since the American armyworms first entered Nepal. It hides from sunrise till sunset and destroys corn leaves, stalks, kernels and later the entire plant at night. As the worm has completely adapted to the environment in a short period of time, it is not possible to eradicate it completely. Humagain said that no initiative has been taken for the control so far.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Ministry of Agriculture is unaware that the farmers who were affected by the unseasonal rainfall last October are now being attacked by the fall armyworms. Ministry spokesperson Prakash Kumar Sanjel said that the ministry has not received any report from the concerned bodies so far. It is a well-known fact that outbreaks are common and frequent during this time of year. However, he said that the ministry had not made any plan as no major damage was reported.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Scientists say that this worm, which was seen in West Africa in 2016, can travel up to 100 kilometers in one night. About three years ago, this insect was first seen in various states of India for the first time in Asia. Later, it reportedly entered Nepal through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14854', 'image' => '20220415030136_maize armyworn.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 15:00:39', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 11 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15106', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Government Marks 100 Years of Systematic Documentation and Registration of Land', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">April 15: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for making land registration and records fair, automated and transparent. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba made such remarks on Thursday during a programme organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation on the occasion of 100 years of systematic documentation and registration of land in the country. He directed the subordinate bodies to address the complaints on land administration on time. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba was in favour of promoting good governance in land administration service by ensuring quality survey and credible management of data. PM Deuba added that records of land and security of historic archives should be prioritized. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed happiness over the online system of land transaction and access to personal data relating to land developed by the ministry. He also suggested other government bodies to promote such practices. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The written records or the registration of land plots and houses had begun exactly a 100 years ago in Nepal since 1st Baisakh, 1979 BS.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba further reminded that the government was providing lands to the poor Dalits in a bid to ensure social justice and equality guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal. The constitution has ensured such rights to landless squatters, freed-Haliyas and Kamaiyas. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">PM Deuba expressed concerns that arable lands were left unused on the one hand and agricultural production was dwindling on the other, contributing to widening trade loss, and food insecurity.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Haphazard use of land has worsened the impacts of climate change, said Deuba adding that unchecked plotting of agricultural land has caused haphazard urbanization while settlements are facing risks.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The Prime Minister also expressed concern over encroachment of public, and lands belonging to the Guthi trusts.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> During the occasion, PM Deuba shared that the National Land Commission was formed by the government to resolve the problems faced by the landless squatters, landless Dalit and unmanaged settlements. (<em>With inputs from RSS</em>) </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""> </span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-15', 'modified' => '2022-04-15', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14848', 'image' => '20220415075711_Ministry-ofland).jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-15 07:55:56', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 12 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15100', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'President Extends Best Wishes on the Occasion of New Year', 'sub_title' => 'President Calls for Promoting Entrepreneurship and Domestic Products to Decrease Trade Imbalance', 'summary' => 'April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 14: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepalis at home and abroad on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year 2079 BS. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">In her message on the occasion, President Bhandari wished for peace, prosperity, good health and progress of all the Nepalis. President Bhandari spoke of the need to learn from the tough experiences of the past and move ahead accordingly. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The president also called for promoting entrepreneurship and production of domestic products to decrease the rising trade imbalance as well as to create self-reliant economy through national capital. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">She was of the view that policies and programmes aimed at creating jobs and opportunities to engage a staggering number of youths of Nepal aspiring for foreign employment should be implemented at the earliest. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The Head of the State also appealed to the three-tier government to be active towards realizing sustainable development goals. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that the upcoming Nepali year is going to be the year of election, President Bhandari argued that it is our common responsibility to conduct the May 13 local level election in a free, impartial and fearless environment. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"May the upcoming New Year 2079 BS inspire to create civilized, well-cultured and just society while filling all the Nepalis with zest and zeal," the message stated. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-14', 'modified' => '2022-04-14', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14842', 'image' => '20220414081219_Untitled.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-14 08:11:31', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 13 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15094', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'Water from Melamchi Diverted into Tunnel, likely to Reach Kathmandu in 2 Weeks', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July.', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">April 13: Melamchi Water Supply Project has finally diverted water to the Kathmandu valley on Tuesday after clearing the debris accumulated in the dam site of project due to the floods and landslides last July. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary was present when the water was diverted in the tunnel from the diversion gate No. 1 of the project in Ambathan of Sindhupalchowk. Minister Chaudhary said that he was happy to send water to the valley as per the government's target. The project officials informed that it will take two weeks for the water from the tunnel to reach the valley.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, Basudev Poudel said that it was possible to divert water as the work of cleaning the tunnel and head works was completed. Poudel said, “Even though some works are still remaining, water was sent because the cleaning of the tunnel and head works was completed.” Earlier, the government had announced to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu by mid-April.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">This is the seventh formal inauguration of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The water of Melamchi was diverted for the first time on July 5, 2020. The project was inaugurated by the then Minister Bina Magar.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Within a week, the gate of the Melamchi audit tunnel collapsed and it took about eight months to repair it. For the second time, the then Minister for water supply, Mani Thapa and Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar personally visited the site on 22 February 2021 and re-sent water back to the tunnel. The third inauguration was done on 6 March 2021 at Sundarijal by the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He announced the arrival of Melamchi water in the valley by opening the gate from Sundarijal and sending it to the Bagmati River.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited then started distributing water on March 28, 2021 amid a formal programme organized for the fourth. One week later, President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the distribution of water from Melamchi at Bhrikuti mandap.</span></span></p> <p> </p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14836', 'image' => '20220413011743_melamcbi.jpg', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 13:16:44', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '34' ) ), (int) 14 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '15092', 'article_category_id' => '1', 'title' => 'PM Deuba Stresses on Utility Corridor for Coordinated Development ', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => 'April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. ', 'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">April 13: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has underscored the need of formulating a bill on urban development along with utility corridor to carry out the development and construction works in a coordinated manner. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">He also called for an end to the tendency of one utility agency constructing structures and the next one dismantling it after a few days due to lack of coordination. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The prime minister made such remarks while inaugurating a Consultative Seminar on the Formulation of National Urban Policy, the Urban Development Act and the Utility Corridor Act in the capital on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Speaking on the occasion, PM Deuba said pilot projects would be initiated in some big cities from the upcoming fiscal year for implementing the concept of utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">The PM viewed that it is necessary to maintain population balance through the Tarai Madhes-focussed Consolidated Urban Development Programme. </span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif""><span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It (the programme) will be expanded to the municipalities in the mountainous and hill regions to discourage migration from the districts of these regions to the Tarai Madhes," he said. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Prime Minister Deuba said that the duplicity in the development and construction works would be removed by amending and integrating the legislations related to urban development. He opined that the country's urban development would witness a sea change with the formulation of the Act related to the utility corridor. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">According to him, the government will address the problems and challenges seen in urbanization while increasing the access to advanced national urban infrastructures through the new urban policy. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"This will help in the proper resource mobilization for urban development as well as in ensuring inter-governmental coordination and urban good governance," the PM asserted. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">Stating that Nepal falls among the rapidly urbanizing countries in the world, he said urbanization played a role in the overall development of the country including its economic, social and political development. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">PM Deuba stated that although Nepal has been making efforts for a systematic urbanization since the Second Five-Year Plan, the cities in the country have not developed as expected. He stressed on the need of developing systematic, clean and beautiful new cities and at the same time managing the required infrastructures in the existing old cities. </span><br /> <span style="font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"">"It is necessary to urgently start concrete works to bring improvements in the living standards of the people living in the urban areas," he said, adding that the Ministry of Urban Development has prepared the draft policy incorporating various dimensions of urban development, including major challenges, investment in infrastructures, urban governance among others. -- RSS </span></span></span></p> ', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2022-04-13', 'modified' => '2022-04-13', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => '', 'sortorder' => '14834', 'image' => '20220413081638_image_6483441(5).JPG', 'article_date' => '2022-04-13 08:15:35', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => true, 'in_scroller' => null, 'user_id' => '34' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
